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Evening Brief: Hegseth Defends Caribbean Strike, New US-Bahrain Air Defense Center, Taliban Stage Public Execution Before Thousands

BY Guy D. McCardle

Tonight’s brief tracks mounting scrutiny over a controversial US strike in the Caribbean, fresh political and security moves from Washington to the Gulf, and escalating flashpoints from Ukraine to Gaza and Afghanistan.

Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa cuts a ribbon with US CENTCOM Admiral Brad Cooper at the inauguration of the Combined Command Post at Ras Al Bar Camp, December 1, 2025. Image Credit: DVIDS.

Top stories this Tuesday evening, December 2, 2025.

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Hegseth Defends Controversial Caribbean Strike as ‘Fog of War’ Amid Congressional Probes

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday defended a second US strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea, saying he saw no survivors and citing the “fog of war.”

Speaking at a White House Cabinet meeting, Hegseth said he left the September 2 mission after the first strike and that Navy Vice Admiral Frank Bradley, who ordered the follow-up hit, “made the right call” and acted within his authority.

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The Pentagon’s campaign has carried out more than 20 such strikes, killing over 80 people, as part of a broader effort to target drug operations linked to Venezuela. A Washington Post report alleging Hegseth gave a verbal order to “kill everybody” has prompted bipartisan investigations.

US President Donald Trump distanced himself from the second strike, saying he “didn’t know anything about people” involved, though he praised Bradley as an “extraordinary person.”

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Legal experts and the Pentagon’s own law manual say targeting shipwreck survivors would be illegal under the laws of armed conflict.

The White House maintains the strike was lawful, and Bradley is set to brief lawmakers in a closed session Thursday.

 

Trump to Send National Guard Troops to New Orleans as Part of Federal Crime Crackdown

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that National Guard troops will deploy to New Orleans within weeks, responding to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry’s request for federal help to combat crime.

The deployment comes as the city also braces for “Swamp Sweep,” a Border Patrol-led immigration operation aimed at arresting 5,000 people.

Trump did not specify troop numbers or timing but said the move follows Landry’s appeal for up to 1,000 federally funded Guard members.

Landry, a Republican and Trump ally, cited violent crime and police shortages in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport, though local data shows major crime has sharply declined in New Orleans this year.

Mayor-elect Helena Moreno and other city officials oppose the deployment, warning it could harm community relations and disrupt local traditions.

The White House has recently sent or attempted to send Guard troops to other US cities, moves that have sparked legal challenges from Democratic leaders.

 

US and Bahrain Open Joint Air Defense Center

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Bahrain opened a new combined air defense facility this week at Ras Al Bar camp, strengthening regional defense coordination as tensions between Iran and Israel persist.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa led Monday’s ceremony, marking a new phase of joint operations between the longtime allies.

The center will serve as a hub for integrated air defense planning and operations, staffed by US and Bahraini personnel. Bahrain hosts the US 5th Fleet and the largest US Navy base in the region.

The opening follows a similar initiative in Qatar last month and coincides with US approval of a $455 million F-16 sustainment deal with Bahrain.

The move comes after recent missile and drone threats during the Iran-Israel conflict, which saw Bahrain briefly on alert and Iran targeting bases in Qatar.

US officials said the expanded defense cooperation underscores Washington’s commitment to Gulf security and to protecting regional partners from escalating threats.

 

UN Veteran Jack Christofides Named Leader of New Haiti Gang Suppression Force

The international partners backing the new US-supported Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti have appointed Jack Christofides, a veteran United Nations peacebuilding official, as the force’s special representative.

The appointment was announced by Force Commander Godfrey Otunge and the Standing Group of Partners, which includes the US, Canada, Jamaica, The Bahamas, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Kenya.

Christofides brings decades of experience in conflict zones, including senior roles with UN peacekeeping operations in Lebanon and Africa. He is tasked with guiding the GSF’s mission to restore state authority, reduce gang control, and support Haiti’s path toward democratic governance.

The GSF was authorized by the UN Security Council in September to replace the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission, but it has yet to be fully funded or deployed. A pledging conference organized by the US and hosted by Canada is planned in New York to address financial and logistical needs.

Meanwhile, gang violence in Haiti continues to escalate. Over the weekend, armed groups attacked Pont-Sondé, killing at least 10 people and forcing thousands to flee. Local leaders have pleaded for reinforcements as gangs tighten their grip on communities near Arcahaie, underscoring the urgency and challenges facing the new international mission.

 

Putin Blames Europe for Blocking Ukraine Peace Talks as Trump Envoys Meet in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused European nations Tuesday of obstructing US-led efforts to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, claiming they had “no peace agenda” just hours before meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin.

Putin alleged that European governments added “unacceptable demands” to peace proposals, preventing progress, while reiterating that Russia has no plans to attack Europe but is “ready” if war breaks out.

The meeting came as US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative entered a critical phase, with Washington trying to broker talks between Kyiv and Moscow based on a revised 20-point proposal.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking from Dublin, said the next steps would depend on the outcome of the Moscow meeting and signaled his willingness to meet Trump directly if progress was made.

European leaders, frustrated at being sidelined in US-Russia negotiations, are pushing to have a greater role in determining Ukraine’s postwar security and reconstruction. French President Emmanuel Macron and other European Union leaders held parallel consultations with Witkoff and Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile, fighting continued in eastern Ukraine, where Russia claimed to have captured Pokrovsk—a claim Kyiv denied as propaganda.

 

Netherlands Takes Over NATO Air Defense Mission in Eastern Poland

The Netherlands has assumed command of NATO’s air defense mission in eastern Poland, replacing German forces in Jasionka, where allies help protect supply routes to Ukraine and strengthen the alliance’s eastern flank.

About 300 Dutch troops equipped with Patriot missiles, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), and counter-drone systems began the mission Monday, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced.

The deployment, expected to run through June, marks the latest rotation in NATO’s evolving air defense operations near the Ukrainian border. The mission was initially led by the United States after Russia’s 2022 invasion before being transferred to Germany and then to NATO command earlier this year.

Brekelmans said the Dutch presence “protects supply lines to Ukraine and strengthens the security of Poland, Ukraine, NATO, and the Netherlands.”

 

Israel Receives Remains Believed to Be Hostage as Fighting Continues in Gaza and West Bank

Israel said Tuesday it received human remains handed over by Palestinian militants in Gaza, believed to belong to one of the two remaining hostages—an Israeli or a Thai national.

The remains, transferred to Israel through the Red Cross from Beit Lahiya, are undergoing forensic testing. Since the US-brokered ceasefire began on October 10, the remains of 26 hostages taken in Hamas’s October 2023 attack have been returned.

Despite the truce, violence continues. Gaza hospitals reported at least four Palestinians killed Tuesday in Israeli strikes, including videographer Mahmoud Wadi in Khan Younis and a boy killed by artillery fire east of Gaza City.

The Israeli military said it killed three individuals who allegedly posed threats in areas under Israeli control. Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 350 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, adding to a total death toll exceeding 70,000.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops killed two Palestinians accused of attacking soldiers in separate incidents near Ramallah and Hebron. The military also demolished the homes of two suspected militants, a practice Israel says deters attacks but critics condemn as collective punishment.

 

Taliban Stage Public Execution in Afghan Stadium Before Tens of Thousands

Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Tuesday publicly executed a man in a stadium in Khost for killing 13 members of a family, including nine children.

The Taliban Supreme Court said the execution, attended by tens of thousands of people, was the 11th since the group returned to power in 2021.

The court said the death sentence had been upheld by multiple courts and approved by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. The man was shot by a relative of the victims, who had declined an offer of clemency.

United Nations Envoy Richard Bennett condemned the execution, calling it “inhumane” and a violation of international law.

The Taliban have reinstated strict Sharia punishments since taking power, including public executions, floggings, and bans on education and work for women and girls.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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