【Text by Observers Net, Xiong Chaoran】On November 11 local time, Reuters cited U.S. officials saying that the U.S. "Ford" aircraft carrier strike group has entered Latin America and the Caribbean Sea region, a large-scale military buildup has intensified the tensions between the United States and Venezuela. It is worth noting that the "Ford" aircraft carrier is currently the largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy.

However, at this time, CNN, citing exclusive sources on November 11 local time, reported that the UK has stopped sharing intelligence about suspected drug trafficking ships in the Caribbean Sea with the United States, because the UK does not want to become an accomplice to U.S. military strikes, and believes these attack actions are "illegal".

The report pointed out that this decision marks a "major rift" in the relationship between the UK and its closest ally and intelligence-sharing partner, and also highlights growing doubts about the legality of U.S. military actions in the Latin American region.

Photo of the U.S. Navy's "Ford" aircraft carrier

According to sources, for years, the UK has assisted the U.S. in locating ships suspected of drug trafficking, so that the U.S. Coast Guard can intercept them. The UK has several territories in the Caribbean Sea, and has intelligence agencies in these areas. This means that these ships will be intercepted, boarded, searched, crew members detained, and drugs seized.

This intelligence is usually sent to the "Southern Joint Interagency Task Force", which is stationed in Florida, USA, and includes representatives from multiple U.S. partner countries, dedicated to combating illegal drug trafficking.

However, since the U.S. began lethal attacks on so-called "drug trafficking ships" in September, the UK has started to worry that the U.S. may use British-provided intelligence to select targets for attacks. Sources said that UK officials believe these U.S. attacks, which have resulted in 76 deaths, violate international law.

Last month, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that these U.S. attacks violated international law and constituted "unlawful killings." Sources told CNN that the UK agreed with this assessment. Sources also revealed that the UK had begun suspending the relevant intelligence sharing about a month ago.

Neither the British Embassy in the United States nor the White House responded to requests for comment. A Pentagon official told CNN that the department "does not participate in discussions on intelligence matters."

Local time on October 30, Venezuelan citizens held a protest march, protesting against the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean Sea. IC Photo

According to reports, before the U.S. military began bombing "drug trafficking ships" in September this year, the fight against illegal drug smuggling was handled by U.S. law enforcement agencies and the Coast Guard. Sources said that at that time, "drug cartel members" and "drug smugglers" were considered criminals who had the right to due process, which also aligned with the UK's cooperation stance.

However, according to a memo submitted by the Trump administration to Congress, the administration argued that the U.S. military has the right to legally kill suspected drug traffickers, as these people pose an "imminent threat" to Americans.

CNN noted that some senior officials within the U.S. Department of Defense also have doubts about the military operations of the U.S. military. Last month, the commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Alvin Holsey, raised doubts about the legality of the attack operations during a meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, and proactively offered to resign. It is reported that Holsey will leave his post in December, and he has only served for one year.

In addition, experts specializing in international law in the Office of the Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Defense have also expressed concerns about the legality of the attacks. Multiple current and former military lawyers told CNN that these attacks do not seem legal. However, a spokesperson for Austin previously denied that any lawyers involved in the operation had objections.

According to another report by CNN, as another important ally that has cooperated with the U.S. for nearly two decades and helped the U.S. Coast Guard intercept suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea, Canada has also kept its distance from the U.S. military's strike operations. Canada plans to continue the cooperation named "Operation Caribbean" with the U.S. Coast Guard, but has clearly informed the U.S. that it does not want its intelligence to be used to assist in selecting targets for lethal strikes.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Defense said to Canadian media last month: "It should be emphasized that the activities of the Canadian Armed Forces conducted in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard under 'Operation Caribbean' are separate and independent from the U.S. military's attacks on suspected drug trafficking vessels."

The BBC reported on November 11 local time that so far, the U.S. has carried out at least 19 attacks on so-called "drug trafficking ships" in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific, resulting in at least 76 deaths.

Recently, relations between the U.S. and Venezuela have been tense, and the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea. Reuters reported that since August this year, the U.S. has continuously deployed ships, aircraft, and troops to the Caribbean Sea area adjacent to Venezuela, and now "has the capability to conduct military operations within Venezuela." According to the information from the sources and the planning documents obtained by Reuters, the Venezuelan side is deploying weapons including Russian-made equipment and plans to take "guerrilla-style" resistance actions or create chaos in the battlefield if attacked by U.S. air strikes or ground attacks.

This article is an exclusive article by Observers Net, and without permission, it cannot be reprinted.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7571697576887255595/

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