SassySloth
Well-known member
Two US Survivors of Military Strike on Caribbean Vessel Will Be Deported
The Biden administration has confirmed that two survivors of a US military strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea will be repatriated to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia. The victims were part of a submarine carrying mostly fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.
President Joe Biden did not publicly comment on the incident, but the White House released a statement saying that the survivors would be returned for "detention and prosecution". The strike marked the sixth known boat attack in the area since last month, with 27 people killed in previous incidents.
The US military launched the strike after identifying four narcoterrorists on board the vessel. Two terrorists were killed in the attack, while two others survived and will be repatriated.
Critics have argued that the strikes are a violation of international law and human rights. "It is the custom of the sea to save people who are at risk in international waters," said Eugene R. Fidell, a senior research scholar at Yale Law School. "You don't sort out people who are only in danger because the US was attempting to kill them."
The Pentagon has justified the strikes by arguing that the US is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels. The administration claims that when the boats are loaded with drugs, they become fair game.
However, lawmakers have pushed back on the strikes, saying that Congress needs to provide permission to attack drug cartels and that there is insufficient evidence that the boats were carrying narcotics.
The attacks come amid a wider military buildup in the Caribbean, as the administration presses Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro for action against drug trafficking. The US has deployed eight warships, fighter jets, and 10,000 troops to the region.
In comments from the Oval Office on Friday, President Biden confirmed that he had authorized covert CIA action in Venezuela, citing drugs and migration. He also acknowledged that Venezuelan officials have offered the US a significant stake in the country's oil, gold, and other natural resources in exchange for ending its actions taken against Maduro's government.
The Biden administration has confirmed that two survivors of a US military strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea will be repatriated to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia. The victims were part of a submarine carrying mostly fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.
President Joe Biden did not publicly comment on the incident, but the White House released a statement saying that the survivors would be returned for "detention and prosecution". The strike marked the sixth known boat attack in the area since last month, with 27 people killed in previous incidents.
The US military launched the strike after identifying four narcoterrorists on board the vessel. Two terrorists were killed in the attack, while two others survived and will be repatriated.
Critics have argued that the strikes are a violation of international law and human rights. "It is the custom of the sea to save people who are at risk in international waters," said Eugene R. Fidell, a senior research scholar at Yale Law School. "You don't sort out people who are only in danger because the US was attempting to kill them."
The Pentagon has justified the strikes by arguing that the US is in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels. The administration claims that when the boats are loaded with drugs, they become fair game.
However, lawmakers have pushed back on the strikes, saying that Congress needs to provide permission to attack drug cartels and that there is insufficient evidence that the boats were carrying narcotics.
The attacks come amid a wider military buildup in the Caribbean, as the administration presses Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro for action against drug trafficking. The US has deployed eight warships, fighter jets, and 10,000 troops to the region.
In comments from the Oval Office on Friday, President Biden confirmed that he had authorized covert CIA action in Venezuela, citing drugs and migration. He also acknowledged that Venezuelan officials have offered the US a significant stake in the country's oil, gold, and other natural resources in exchange for ending its actions taken against Maduro's government.
Like, isn't it our duty to save people who are in trouble? If they were on a boat that was being attacked by the US military, shouldn't we have helped them out instead of sending them back home? 
It just seems like the US is more worried about getting rid of the drugs than about making sure people's lives aren't in danger. And what even is this "narcoterrorist" stuff? Can't we just talk to these guys and try to figure out a better way to deal with drug trafficking without resorting to violence? 
. I mean, think about it, these two guys survived the most intense attack out there in the ocean, and now they're gonna be deported back to their countries? It's like, what even is the point of that? They've already been through so much trauma, you'd think they'd get some kinda break from the US government.
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and what about that CIA covert action in Venezuela? sounds like a power play to me... Maduro's government might be involved, but I think there's more to it... have you noticed how many boats have been attacked in the Caribbean recently? 6 now? seems like a coordinated effort to me... 
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it's like the us military thinks they're above the law or something. and this whole "non-international armed conflict" thing is just a cop-out. they're basically saying that if you're in international waters, you're fair game if you're carrying contraband. but what about when you're not even sure what's on the boat? it's all so sketchy 
. The subheadings are on point, like whoa! They clearly break down each section so it's easy to read & digest. 
There's this whole thing about international law & human rights, and it makes me wonder if the administration's approach is gonna backfire. 
And don't even get me started on the whole "non-international armed conflict" thing... I'm no expert, but it seems like some pretty murky waters to me. 
But is this really the best way to tackle the issue of drug trafficking? 
It's like, come on Biden, own up to this! You're basically saying that you don't care about human life if it gets in the way of your 'war' against cartels.
And oh yeah, because offering a stake in Venezuela's oil and resources was all that was needed to make everyone happy... 
it feels like the military is more worried about its own rep than helping ppl in need.
I'm literally shook by this news... Like what even is happening over there?! 
We need to hold our leaders accountable here.
what if they're not ready for that? what if they need help? the us government is always like "we gotta follow the law" but this law seems pretty crappy 
and another thing, what's with all these warships and troops deployed to the caribbean? is it really about stopping drugs or is it about controlling other countries 
I mean, come on, deporting survivors of a military strike? That's just plain cruel. It's like they're trying to sweep this under the rug and avoid accountability. 
️ What's next, deporting journalists who try to investigate these incidents?
I mean, isn't it our responsibility as a global power to protect civilians in distress? It seems like we're more concerned with sending a message to these narco-terrorists than with upholding basic human rights. 
We need to get back to basics here: protecting civilians, upholding human rights, and respecting international law. Anything less is just unacceptable. 
. We need to hold our leaders accountable for this kind of stuff 
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I mean, didn't we learn anything from the whole Abu Ghraib thing? It's all about accountability, you know? 
Still, I guess when you're talking about the big picture and global security, things get murky 
. What do you think? Should we be looking out for our own borders first, or trying to solve problems in other countries?