(Washington, D.C.) U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not consider attacking ground targets in Venezuela, contradicting his previous remarks and signs that the U.S. might soon expand its anti-drug campaign.
On Friday (October 31), aboard Air Force One, Trump responded to a reporter's question about whether he was considering attacks on targets in Venezuela by saying, "No."
However, Trump's answer remained ambiguous, leaving it unclear whether he was ruling out future attacks on Venezuela or simply indicating that no final decision had been made.
Trump told reporters last week that the U.S. would attack drug-related targets in Venezuela.
The U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since September have sunk at least 14 ships that Washington alleges are involved in drug trafficking, killing at least 61 people. Trump also said he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.
Further Reading
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham revealed on Sunday (26th) that Trump had told him he planned to brief Congress on military action against Venezuela and Colombia after his trip to Asia. Trump left Asia on Thursday (30th).
A U.S. official said the military has offered a range of options, including strikes against military facilities in Venezuela. ABC News reported on Friday that the Trump administration has drawn up a list of targets, awaiting Trump's order. Some experts expect targets to include Venezuelan ports, airports, and other facilities.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Donald Türk issued a statement on Friday saying that U.S. airstrikes against ships in the Caribbean and Pacific violate international human rights law. He called on the U.S. to stop such attacks and ensure that those on board are not subjected to extrajudicial killings.
Türk said that combating cross-border drug trafficking is a law enforcement matter and must adhere to the strict limitations on the use of lethal force under international human rights law. He also called for an independent and transparent investigation as soon as possible into the U.S. attacks on ships in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Republican and Democratic leaders on the Senate Armed Services Committee said Friday that they had previously requested the government to provide executive orders and legal justifications related to their anti-drug operations, but the Trump administration has yet to respond.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Wick and Democratic Senator Reid issued a statement saying they sent a letter to the government on September 23 requesting executive orders related to their anti-drug operations. In a separate letter on October 6, they requested the legal justifications for these operations. As of October 31, they had not received the requested information.
