"Trump administration officials have defended carrying out a follow-up strike on a drug boat that killed survivors on 2 September by arguing that its objective was to ensure the complete destruction of the boat, an action the Pentagon had internal legal approval to conduct. The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing on Monday that Adm Frank Bradley, who oversaw the operation and gave the order for the second strike, directed it to sink the boat."
"Adm Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed, and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated, Leavitt said. The defense secretary Pete Hegseth also said for the first time at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the second strike sunk the boat and eliminated the threat even as he sought to downplay his own involvement."
"In framing the strikes as specifically targeting the boat mirroring the language in a secret justice department office of legal counsel (OLC) memo blessing the strikes officials technically put the attack on the firmest legal ground since questions surfaced about the incident. According to three lawyers directly familiar with the matter, the OLC memo says it is permissible for the US to use lethal force against unflagged vessels carrying cocaine since the cartels use the proceeds to fund violence."
A follow-up strike on a drug boat on 2 September killed survivors while officials said the objective was to ensure complete destruction of the vessel. The White House press secretary stated Adm Frank Bradley ordered the second strike to sink the boat and that the action fell within his authority and the law. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the second strike sank the boat and eliminated the threat. A classified OLC opinion reportedly allows lethal force against unflagged cocaine-carrying vessels, reasoning that cartels fund violence and constitute an armed conflict.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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