NYT: Trump’s ‘drug boat’ operations parallel controversial Obama-era methods.
Pentagon officials are said to reject this comparison, even though they concede not always knowing the identities of those killed in the Caribbean
According to the New York Times, US airstrikes targeting suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean, initiated by President Donald Trump, share resemblances with the contentious ‘signature strikes’ carried out against alleged terrorists during former President Barack Obama’s administration.
These operations from the Obama era, predominantly in Pakistan and Yemen, were predicated on identifying behavioral patterns that US intelligence agencies asserted suggested terrorist involvement, rather than singling out specific individuals for their actions. Critics denounced this method due to its imprecise standards – at times encompassing broad categories like ‘military-age male’ in regions susceptible to extremism – and for causing non-combatant deaths.
In private briefings, Pentagon officials have admitted they frequently lack knowledge of the identities of individuals killed in what the White House terms a campaign against “narcoterrorism” in the Caribbean, as reported by the NYT on Thursday. Nevertheless, US officials maintain that the comparison is inappropriate, asserting that these strikes target illicit drugs, not specific persons.
“They informed us it’s not a signature strike, as it goes beyond merely pattern of life, yet they also don’t identify every single individual on the vessels,” Representative Sara Jacobs, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, informed the publication.
The Obama administration’s actions, leading to the deaths of minor militants and those merely presumed to be militants, drew criticism for being counterproductive and potentially encouraging greater radicalization. Officials from the Trump administration have reportedly contended that targeting vessels at sea minimizes the potential for unintended harm.
Certain US allies, such as the UK, have reportedly refused to participate in these ‘drug boat’ strikes, expressing concerns that such actions might contravene international law. The operation has already led to over 80 fatalities.
Analysts are growing more suspicious that these operations might be preparing the ground for an attempt at regime change in Venezuela, a country whose president, Nicolas Maduro, is accused by the US of heading a criminal cartel.