The USS Gerald R. Ford #AircraftCarrier has entered waters near #LatinAmerica, prompting #Venezuela to put the entire country’s #military arsenal at the ready as the #US naval buildup fuels speculation that the #Trump admin intends to dramatically escalate its deadly counternarcotics campaign there.
#law #WarPowers #Congress #SeparationOfPowers #InternationalLaw #LawOfArmedConflict #authoritarianism #autocracy
washingtonpost.com/national-se…
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •The Ford & its 3 accompanying #warships arrived in the region Tuesday, the Navy said in a news release. The ships were not yet in the #Caribbean Sea but had crossed into the #US #SouthCom’s jdx, a vast area that also includes part of the #Atlantic Ocean & drug smuggling routes in the #Pacific used by cartels based in #Colombia & neighboring #Ecuador.
#Trump #law #Venezuela #WarPowers #Congress #SeparationOfPowers #InternationalLaw #LawOfArmedConflict #authoritarianism #autocracy
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •…The development, though forecast weeks ago, appeared certain to deepen the sense of unease felt in some corners of #Congress since #Trump began to ruminate about a potential regime change in #Venezuela. Last week, admin ofcls hoping to quash bipartisan legislation aimed at restraining the president’s ability to unleash #military force there told lawmakers no active preparations were underway for such an attack — a declaration that persuaded enough #Republicans to vote down the measure.
#law
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •The objective is to place “the entire country’s #military arsenal on full operational readiness,” Padrino López said. The preparations include “massive deployment of ground, aerial, naval, riverine & missile forces” with the participation of all security forces & militia.
#Trump #law #WarPowers #Congress #InternationalLaw
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •Padrino said on national television that #Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás #Maduro, ordered a massive deployment of soldiers, “almost 200,000,” he said, as part of the special operation.
…The breadth of firepower inherent to an #AircraftCarrier strike group—the Ford typically travels with dozens of fighter jets & an assortment of other lethal capabilities—would seem excessive for the type of strikes that #US forces have carried out on alleged drug boats since early Sept, experts said.
#Trump #law
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •Carriers are strategic assets, & the #US uses its fleet of 11 — many of which are in scheduled maintenance & not available to sail at any given time — for power projection & deterrence in its top-tier #security concerns, notably countering #China in the Indo-Pacific region & maintaining a deterrent presence in the #MiddleEast, said Mark Cancian, a senior #defense adviser at CSIS.
#Trump #law #Venezuela #WarPowers #Congress #SeparationOfPowers #InternationalLaw #authoritarianism #autocracy
Nonilex
in reply to Nonilex • • •“The only reason to move it there is to use it against Venezuela,” Cancian surmised, adding that the Ford’s arrival means “the shot clock has started because this is not an asset they can just keep there indefinitely. They have to use it or move it. And moving it would mean they are standing down” from a potential attack on #Venezuela, he said.
#Trump #law #WarPowers #Congress #SeparationOfPowers #InternationalLaw #LawOfArmedConflict #authoritarianism #autocracy