The ship that was bombed twice by US military personnel in the Caribbean on September 2 of this year was not destined for the United States. The alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers were headed to Suriname in South America.
The attack, which left no survivors, was the first in a series of more than 20 bombings carried out by the US military in the Caribbean and Pacific, as part of work to combat international drug trafficking into the United States. Watch the video of the first bombing:
Admiral Frank Bradley, who supervised the first military operation, provided clarifications to US representatives and senators last Thursday (12/4), according to what was reported by CNN International, and revealed the information.
In Suriname, the alleged traffickers had a rendezvous on a larger ship. The American investigation indicates that the smuggling route that passes through Suriname is headed to European markets.
The new information contradicts the justification provided by US President Donald Trump for the September 2 attack. In a post after the operation, Al-Jumhuri justified that “the terrorists were on the high seas, in international waters, transporting illegal drugs destined for the United States.”
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Democrats say the bombing is a war crime
The September 2 bombing became one of the main topics in the United States last week, due to accusations that the army committed war crimes.
A report showed that at least two of the 11 crew members survived the initial bombardment and even waved for help. However, according to the Washington Post, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized a second attack.
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American attack on a boat in Kariba
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American attack on a Venezuelan ship
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American attack on a ship in the Pacific Ocean
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American attack on a ship in the Pacific Ocean
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White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt confirmed in a statement that the second attack occurred, under the justification of “making sure the boat was destroyed.” However, the Pentagon’s Law of War Manual states that “wounded, sick and shipwrecked” combatants no longer pose a threat and should not be attacked.
Democratic parliamentarians accuse the US armed forces of committing war crimes, and summoned the commander of the operation, Admiral Mitch Bradley, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Keane, to provide clarifications to Congress, on Capitol Hill.
After the hearing, in which videos of the operations were shown, the parliamentarians spoke to the press and expressed their concerns about the military operation in Latin America.
Democratic Rep. Jim Himes told reporters that survivors of the first attack appeared “in obvious distress, with no means of transportation,” and described the second attack as “one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen in my time in public service.”
Republican parliamentarians downplayed the issue and defended the operation. Senator Tom Cotton described the military action as “completely legal and necessary.”
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (3/12) that he supports the second attack. He told reporters: “I support the decision to sink the boats.”