"Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, has played a leading role in directing US strikes against suspected Venezuelan drug boats, according to three people familiar with the situation. At times, his role has superseded that of Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and national security adviser. The strikes on the Venezuelan boats allegedly carrying narcotics, which the administration has claimed were necessary because interdiction did not work, have been orchestrated through the homeland security council (HSC)."
"Miller empowered the HSC earlier this year to become its own entity in Donald Trump's second term, a notable departure from previous administrations where it was considered part of the national security council and ultimately reported to the national security adviser. As a result, the HSC has taken the lead on engaging the Venezuelan boats, the people said, a situation evidenced by his top deputy, Tony Salisbury, and others being the gatekeepers to details about what boat to strike until they are about to occur."
Stephen Miller led the Homeland Security Council and directed U.S. strikes against suspected Venezuelan drug boats. He empowered the HSC to operate as an independent entity during Donald Trump's second term, changing the usual National Security Council reporting structure. The HSC assumed primary responsibility for engaging the Venezuelan boats, with Miller's top deputy Tony Salisbury and others controlling access to strike details until shortly before operations. In one instance, the Pentagon identified a viable target more than four days before a 15 September strike, while many senior White House officials learned only hours beforehand. The White House stated that Trump directed the strikes and U.S. forces include the Iwo Jima amphibious ready group.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]