Free Republic

Some members of Congress are up in arms over a briefing by a senior administration lawyer who told them the Trump administration had no intention of adhering to the War Powers Resolution regarding the ongoing interdiction campaign against Venezuelan drug cartels. According to the Washington Post, T. Elliot Gaiser, head of the Trump administration’s Office of Legal Counsel, said the administration did not believe the strikes met the definition of hostilities under the law and did not intend to seek an extension of the deadline nor Congress’s approval of ongoing action.Heads popped. “The administration appears to be blowing through the...

The US military has carried out another lethal strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Saturday. Hegseth in a social media posting said the vessel was operated by a US-designated terrorist organization but did not name which group was targeted. He said three people were killed in the strike. It’s at least the 15th such strike carried out by the US military in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific since early September. “This vessel—like EVERY OTHER—was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route,...

Torpedo Attack Likeliest Cause of Shipwreck Military authorities believe that a strong external shock was the reason for the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan, on March 26, with a torpedo, mine or depth charge the most likely to generate enough impact. The most likely suspect is a torpedo. â—† Torpedo, Mine or Depth Charge? Torpedoes and mines attack from under the surface of the ocean, while depth charges are thrown into the water from airplanes or ships to hit submarines. Torpedoes travel between 60 km/h to 70 km/h powered by propellers and can hit targets that are between hundreds...

Japan: Kim Jong-Un's Fishing Edict Behind Corpse-Filled 'Ghost Ships' Mystery by Frances Martel 17 Dec 2015 When dozens of ships carrying decaying bodies began to wash ashore near Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, theories abounded regarding who were on the ships, where they were coming from, and what led to their deaths. Japanese officials are now saying they believe they have solved the mystery: the ghost ships belong to North Korean fishermen, urged by dictator Kim Jong-un to brave unreasonably dangerous weather for a bigger catch to bring home to the North Korean military. While similarly-constructed ships - often boasting barely-visible Hangul...

reginaldo writes to clue us that pirates in Somalia have opened up a cooperative in Haradheere, where investors can pay money or guns to help their favorite pirate crew for a share of the piracy profits. "'Four months ago, during the monsoon rains, we decided to set up this stock exchange. We started with 15 "maritime companies" and now we are hosting 72. Ten of them have so far been successful at hijacking,' Mohammed [a wealthy former pirate who took a Reuters reporter to the facility] said. ... Piracy investor Sahra Ibrahim, a 22-year-old divorcee, was lined up with others...