“President Trump on Friday said he isn't considering ordering military attacks on Venezuela, two weeks after suggesting ground strikes were possible.
Asked on Air Force One about reports that he is weighing airstrikes against Venezuela, Trump responded: "No, it's not true."
On Oct. 15, Trump said he was eyeing ground strikes. "We are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea under control."
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the U.S. military has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs. If Trump decides to move forward with airstrikes, the targets would be chosen to send a message to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro that it is time to step down, U.S. officials said.
The Trump administration recently has been particularly focused on unsettling Maduro, ramping up efforts to cast the Venezuelan leader as the leader of a drug-trafficking network, building up U.S. military forces in the region, and stepping up attacks on boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.
In June, the president said he would wait two weeks before deciding to take military action against Iran, then ordered bomber strikes on Iranian nuclear sites two days later.
The Trump administration rapidly has built up its military forces in the Caribbean, most recently sending America's most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its accompanying warships. The carrier strike group will join eight warships deployed to the region, as well as a squadron of F-35Bs in Puerto Rico, special operations forces and other military hardware.
In a rare bipartisan effort, the Senate's leading defense lawmakers are demanding answers from the Pentagon, pressing for documents related to the strikes against the alleged drug boats.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D., R.I.) said on Friday they have twice written to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seeking copies of the execute orders, legal justifications and lists of designated terrorist organizations tied to the Defense Department's actions against drug trafficking cartels.
In letters sent on Sept. 23 and Oct. 6, the senators cited statutory requirements under several National Defense Authorization Acts for congressional oversight of such operations. The Pentagon hasn't provided the requested documents, the senators said.
Senate Democrats, including Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Mark Warner (D., Va.), also criticized the administration for briefing only Republicans on Caribbean strikes, saying the exclusion of Democrats undermines Congress's oversight responsibilities and leaves them in the dark. "It's not optional. It's our freaking duty," Warner said Thursday, calling the administration's explanation "bulls---."” [1]
1. World News: U.S. Isn't Planning Strike on Venezuela, President Says. Seligman, Lara; Bhutani, Anvee. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 01 Nov 2025: A8.
Komentarų nėra:
Rašyti komentarą