WASHINGTON: Republican and Democratic leaders of the US Senate Armed Services Committee said on Friday the Trump administration had yet to provide details of its operations against drug cartels and their legal basis they had sought.
US strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific have killed dozens of people since early September, raising tension between Washington and Caracas.
In a rare bipartisan action on the strikes, Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Democrat Jack Reed said in a statement hey had not received information sought from the administration about its strategy to fight drug cartels.
Wicker, of Mississippi, is the chairman and Reed, of Rhode Island, is the top Democrat on the committee, which oversees the US military.
The Trump administration insists those targeted were transporting drugs, without providing evidence or publicly explaining the legal justification for the decision to attack the boats rather than stop them and arrest those on board.
President Donald Trump has also ordered a major military buildup in the Caribbean.
Wicker and Reed said they requested “Execute Orders” related to the anti-drug trafficking operations in a September 23 letter. In another letter on October 6, they asked for any written opinion regarding the legal basis for the operations.
The lawmakers said they had not received the requested information by Friday.
Asked for comment, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said in an email, “Several of the requested documents were made available to the chairman, ranking member, and their staffs to review yesterday. Additionally, the Department provided its fourth bipartisan briefing on these operations to Senate staff yesterday.”
Trump denied on Friday that he was considering strikes inside Venezuela, appearing to contradict his own comments last week amid growing expectations that Washington may soon expand its operations related to drug-trafficking.
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US senators want answers on ‘anti-drug’ strategy as Venezuela tensions rise
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US senators want answers on ‘anti-drug’ strategy as Venezuela tensions rise
Taiwan says China deploys warships in ‘military operations’
TAIPEI: Taiwan said Friday that China had deployed warships for “military operations” stretching hundreds of kilometers from the Yellow Sea to the South China Sea, posing a “threat” to the region.
Beijing, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, neither confirmed nor denied the maneuvers.
Taiwan’s defense ministry and other security agencies were monitoring China’s activities and had a “complete grasp of the situation,” presidential office spokeswoman Karen Kuo told reporters.
She did not say how many Chinese ships were involved in the deployment, but a security source told AFP the number was “significant.” The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The operations were not limited to the Taiwan Strait, but extended from the southern Yellow Sea, to the East China Sea near the disputed Diaoyu Islands and on into the South China Sea and even the Western Pacific, Kuo said.
“This indeed poses a threat and impact on the Indo-Pacific and the entire region,” she said.
Taiwan urged China to “exercise restraint,” Kuo said, adding: “We are also confident that we can handle this matter well.”
Neither China’s armed forces nor state media have announced any increased military activity in the region where Taiwan said Chinese ships had been detected.
Beijing’s foreign ministry did not answer directly when asked if the military was amassing a large number of naval vessels in those waters.
“I want to emphasize that China has consistently followed a defensive policy,” spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press briefing.
“The Chinese navy and coast guard strictly operate in relevant waters according to Chinese domestic law and international law,” Lin said.
He urged “relevant parties” not to “overreact or... engage in groundless hype.”
China has refused to rule out using force to take Taiwan, and also claims contentious sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea.
Taiwan’s intelligence chief Tsai Ming-yen said Wednesday that October to December was the “peak season” for China’s “annual evaluation exercises.”
There was a possibility that China’s ruling Communist Party could turn seemingly routine military activities into drills targeting Taiwan, Tsai warned.
Beijing, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, neither confirmed nor denied the maneuvers.
Taiwan’s defense ministry and other security agencies were monitoring China’s activities and had a “complete grasp of the situation,” presidential office spokeswoman Karen Kuo told reporters.
She did not say how many Chinese ships were involved in the deployment, but a security source told AFP the number was “significant.” The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The operations were not limited to the Taiwan Strait, but extended from the southern Yellow Sea, to the East China Sea near the disputed Diaoyu Islands and on into the South China Sea and even the Western Pacific, Kuo said.
“This indeed poses a threat and impact on the Indo-Pacific and the entire region,” she said.
Taiwan urged China to “exercise restraint,” Kuo said, adding: “We are also confident that we can handle this matter well.”
Neither China’s armed forces nor state media have announced any increased military activity in the region where Taiwan said Chinese ships had been detected.
Beijing’s foreign ministry did not answer directly when asked if the military was amassing a large number of naval vessels in those waters.
“I want to emphasize that China has consistently followed a defensive policy,” spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press briefing.
“The Chinese navy and coast guard strictly operate in relevant waters according to Chinese domestic law and international law,” Lin said.
He urged “relevant parties” not to “overreact or... engage in groundless hype.”
China has refused to rule out using force to take Taiwan, and also claims contentious sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea.
Taiwan’s intelligence chief Tsai Ming-yen said Wednesday that October to December was the “peak season” for China’s “annual evaluation exercises.”
There was a possibility that China’s ruling Communist Party could turn seemingly routine military activities into drills targeting Taiwan, Tsai warned.
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