GOP Aims to End Inquiries Into Strike on Drug Boat Survivors

Republican lawmakers indicated they intend to suspend any further inquiries into a hotly debated U.S. military strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean on Sept. 2.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Thursday that he had seen "no evidence of war crimes" in the operation, which killed two people who survived an initial U.S. attack on their boat.

Wicker expressed confidence that the Trump administration's military campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific against suspected drug traffickers has been conducted "based on sound legal advice."

"After participating in the various briefings provided by the administration, I am confident that the strikes that have taken place thus far against narco-terrorists in the SOUTHCOM [U.S. Southern Command] area of operations were conducted based on sound legal advice," Wicker said.

"Our military takes the use of force against combatants very seriously. Each strike has been preceded by a rigorous analysis of extensive intelligence, as well as a thorough legal review.

"There is no more competent or effective force than the U.S. military. These operations have been conducted in the same proficient and professional standard we have come to expect from these exceptional men and women.

"Clearly previous methods to deter and disrupt narco-trafficking have not worked. We cannot sit idly by and simply hope things change.

"We must have a coherent economic, diplomatic, and military strategy to reduce the influence of the cartels in our hemisphere.

"To that end, I agree with President Trump's strategy outlined by Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio, and I hope we can work with the administration to discuss that strategy much more aggressively with the American people."

Wicker's comments came a day after Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said he would suspend a parallel inquiry.

Rogers told reporters he was "satisfied" that members of his panel had been able to directly question the military officials who oversaw the strike, which killed a total of 11 people, and that he concluded the operation followed a "lawful process."

Wicker's statement did not specify whether his investigation is formally ending or whether he would seek further materials from the Department of War related to the operation.

"When reports first surfaced about a secondary strike, my office immediately directed inquiries to the department to ascertain the veracity of these reports," Wicker said. "I promised that [his committee] would take this matter seriously and conduct thorough oversight.

"We have done so. Both military and civilian Pentagon leaders have worked in good faith to provide answers to us without any delays. Today, I am satisfied with all the information I have received on this matter.

"I have seen no evidence of war crimes. The fact is that our military is asked to make incredibly difficult decisions. Service members must do so based on the best available information and often under very tight timelines.

"In order to safeguard our country and protect our way of life, they undertake this responsibility with proficiency and integrity. It is in the best interest of our national security to support our men and women in uniform when they act based on advice from senior legal advisers."

Democrats offered a sharply different view. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Thursday he was "entirely dissatisfied" with the administration's engagement and called for a formal investigation into the strike, according to The Washington Post.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said through a spokesperson that he was not finished examining the incident and that "the committees shouldn't be done either," the Post reported.

Navy Adm. Frank M. Bradley, who oversaw the strike, met privately Wednesday with members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, marking his second trip to Capitol Hill to answer questions about his decision-making, the Post reported.

Lawmakers watched video of the attack, and Bradley discussed how he determined the survivors were not "shipwrecked," or out of the fight, a status that would have granted them special protection under the law of armed conflict.