US Defense Secretary Hegseth Justifies Strikes on Alleged Cartel Boats as 'Decisive Military Action' - As Trump's Right Hand, He Says the President Can Order Use of Force 'As He Sees Fit'.
In a highly contentious speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended strikes on alleged cartel boats in the Caribbean, which have killed over 80 people and are under intense scrutiny due to international law concerns.
Hegseth likened the operation to the war on terror following the 9/11 attacks, saying that any drug smuggler bringing narcotics into the country by boat will be targeted and sunk. "If you're working for a designated terrorist organization... let there be no doubt about it," he declared during his keynote address.
He further asserted that US President Donald Trump has the authority to take military action as he sees fit to defend America's interests, echoing the president's hawkish stance on national security.
Critics have argued that the strikes violate international law and raised questions about US actions. Hegseth, however, dismissed these concerns, maintaining that the operation is justified for protecting Americans.
While Hegseth equated the alleged drug smugglers with Al-Qaeda terrorists, experts have highlighted significant differences between the two foes and their respective counter-terrorism efforts.
The most recent strike has brought the death toll to at least 87 people, prompting lawmakers to demand more information about the attacks and their legal justification. Hegseth also reiterated President Trump's vow to resume nuclear testing on an equal basis with China and Russia.
The speech was seen as a reinforcement of the administration's muscular foreign policy stance, which has been met with skepticism from many experts and critics. Hegseth portrayed Trump as Reagan's "true and rightful heir" when it comes to national security, while criticizing Republican leaders for their support of Middle Eastern wars and democracy-building efforts that have not yielded results.
The US military department, according to Hegseth, will not be distracted by concerns about climate change, interventionism, regime change, or nation-building.
In a highly contentious speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended strikes on alleged cartel boats in the Caribbean, which have killed over 80 people and are under intense scrutiny due to international law concerns.
Hegseth likened the operation to the war on terror following the 9/11 attacks, saying that any drug smuggler bringing narcotics into the country by boat will be targeted and sunk. "If you're working for a designated terrorist organization... let there be no doubt about it," he declared during his keynote address.
He further asserted that US President Donald Trump has the authority to take military action as he sees fit to defend America's interests, echoing the president's hawkish stance on national security.
Critics have argued that the strikes violate international law and raised questions about US actions. Hegseth, however, dismissed these concerns, maintaining that the operation is justified for protecting Americans.
While Hegseth equated the alleged drug smugglers with Al-Qaeda terrorists, experts have highlighted significant differences between the two foes and their respective counter-terrorism efforts.
The most recent strike has brought the death toll to at least 87 people, prompting lawmakers to demand more information about the attacks and their legal justification. Hegseth also reiterated President Trump's vow to resume nuclear testing on an equal basis with China and Russia.
The speech was seen as a reinforcement of the administration's muscular foreign policy stance, which has been met with skepticism from many experts and critics. Hegseth portrayed Trump as Reagan's "true and rightful heir" when it comes to national security, while criticizing Republican leaders for their support of Middle Eastern wars and democracy-building efforts that have not yielded results.
The US military department, according to Hegseth, will not be distracted by concerns about climate change, interventionism, regime change, or nation-building.
. I mean, I get it, national security is important and all that, but 87 deaths? That's a lot of innocent people lost in the crossfire. And what's with the "as he sees fit" part? It sounds like Trump has a personal vendetta against these cartel boats or something 
. And what about international law? Doesn't anyone care about that anymore? 
. I'm all for keeping America safe and secure, but this feels like a big power trip to me 
.
. And what about the experts who say there are differences between cartel boats and Al-Qaeda? Are we really gonna ignore their warnings? 
Like, what's next? "Hey, can we just invade the moon now too?" 
The whole 'decisive military action' thing is super reassuring, right? 
I mean, who needs international law when you've got a clear conscience and a strong national security agenda? 
Hegseth's trying to spin this as some kind of "war on terror 2.0" – but let's be real, the cartel boat guys aren't exactly blowing up planes full of innocent people 
. And meanwhile, Trump's over here saying he can order military strikes whenever he feels like it... sounds like a recipe for disaster to me 
. Climate change? Interventionism? Who cares about that when you've got narco-traffickers to take down 
. It's all just a big game of "us vs them" and Hegseth's happy to play along 
.
it's all about trump's ego and showing off his 'tough guy' credentials, not actually solving any problems or keeping us safe 
It feels like we're creating more problems than we're solving. What's the end goal here? Are we just trying to show off our military might or is there something more at play? 
I don't think it's that simple.
It's just easier to resort to violence, isn't it?
I just wish we could have a more nuanced conversation about these things instead of resorting to fear-mongering and militarism 
I mean, Cartel boats are bad and all, but come on! We can't just start nuking people willy nilly like that's gonna solve everything 
And what about them civilian casualties? Like, 87 dead, fam... 
Anyway, I'm low-key worried about where this is all gonna lead 
Can someone please tell me what's good for this country?! 
like, I get it he wants to protect Americans but like, cartels are a big deal but like nuclear testing on an equal basis with China and Russia is a huge red flag 
his views on US defense are straight fire 
or is it 
... US Defense Sec Pete Hegseth saying that anyone who smuggles narcotics in by boat can be targeted and sunk sounds super extreme 
And what's with the blurring of lines between national security and just plain old aggression? 
america is gonna protect itself no matter what those critics say about violating int'l law or whatever 80 people died so yeah let's just get on with it 
. I get it, national security is important, but can't we find more nuanced solutions? And what's up with this whole 'decisive military action' vibe - doesn't that just sound like a fancy way of saying 'we're gonna bomb some stuff and hope for the best'? 
It's like, yeah, we get it, cartel guys are bad news, but does it have to be so extreme? 
That sounds super sketchy to me. I'm all for keeping America safe, but not at the expense of our values and international law, you know? 
And what's with the nuclear testing thing? Is Trump trying to one-up Putin or something?