The boat that was attacked by the US was not going to the United States - why was it attacked? New questions arise

A boat that was attacked last September was not going to the United States, but to transfer drugs to another large ship bound for Suriname.

New information has come to light about the controversial attack by the US military in the Caribbean Sea. The investigation has revealed that a boat that was attacked last September was not going to the United States, but to transfer drugs to another large ship bound for Suriname. And keeping this claim in mind, the relevant US admiral is explaining the attack as logical. However, the incident of killing the survivors of the first attack by attacking again and killing them has further strengthened the accusation of war crimes.

CNN says that the boat that was at the center of the controversy over the US attack in the Caribbean Sea on September 2 of this year was heading to join a larger ship, and that ship was heading for Suriname. This information was given to US lawmakers by Admiral Frank Bradley, who is in charge of the operation. The influential US media outlet also reported that two sources with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed the news.

Intelligence gathered by the US military said that the boat that was attacked was planning to “join” with a second ship to transfer drugs. However, the second ship was not found by the US forces. Bradley told lawmakers that the drugs could eventually enter the United States after reaching Suriname, citing the possibility that they could eventually enter the United States, and claimed that attacking the boat was “rational” even though the boat that was attacked was not headed for the United States.

US counter-narcotics officials said that the drug route through Suriname is usually to Europe. And the main drug routes to the United States have been limited to the Pacific region in recent years.

And this new information complicates the Trump administration’s explanation. Because the Trump administration had previously said that hitting the boat several times and killing the survivors was necessary to prevent an “immediate threat” to the United States.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Florida shortly after the attack that the boat was “probably headed for Trinidad or some other country in the Caribbean.” But President Donald Trump claimed in a September 2 announcement that “terrorists were transporting illegal drugs in international waters and were heading towards the United States.”

Bradley, who led the Joint Special Operations Command at the time of the attack, also told US lawmakers that the boat turned around after being spotted by US aircraft. However, CNN reported in September that the boat changed direction before being hit.

The US military hit the boat a total of four times. The first hit broke the boat in two, with two survivors clinging to the overturned part. CNN reported that the second, third and fourth strikes killed them and the boat sank.

According to sources, the video showed the survivors of the boat waving their hands in the sky and making gestures. It is not clear whether they were talking about surrendering or asking for help from US aircraft at the time. The Pentagon has not commented on the matter.

However, according to Pentagon war policy, killing people in a sinking ship is a war crime. At the same time, such people are “deserving of assistance and services” and cannot be attacked in any way. Although most Republicans support the Trump administration’s military operation in the Caribbean, both parties have raised questions about the second attack on September 2.

In addition, the Senate Armed Services Committee has also pledged to monitor the issue. And this is the most significant step. Hegseth’s role in the second attack and what exactly he ordered Bradley to do is now at the center of the investigation.