Adam Smith
Role at the time: Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, in a statement marking one year of the campaign
Statement summary
In a September 2 statement marking one year of the campaign, Smith said Congress and the American people "have yet to see any evidence" supporting the President's determinations about the vessels, and that in his over 20 years on the committee he had never seen "such a staggering lack of transparency" from an administration.
“Congress and the American people have yet to see any evidence to support the president’s unilateral determinations that these vessels, or the activities of those on board, warrant lethal military force rather than law enforcement-led interdiction. … Never before in my over 20 years on this committee have I seen such a staggering lack of transparency on behalf of an administration and DoD to meaningfully inform Congress of the use of lethal military force.”
Statement from Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, marking one year since what he calls the administration's unauthorized campaign of lethal boat strikes. It says Congress and the American people have not seen evidence for the President's determinations about the vessels.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
Measured against the campaign the September 19 strike belongs to and the government's stated basis that those aboard are narcotraffickers, Smith says no evidence has been shown to support the President's determinations about the vessels and criticizes the campaign as unauthorized. That criticizes the conduct itself instead of disputing a label.