Trump Could Target More Than 60 Countries Under Proposed War Authorization

"A draft proposal to authorize the use of U.S. military force against drug cartels is currently floating around Congress and the White House, according to a recent New York Times report. Although an official version of the proposal has yet to be released, publicly available information suggests that it could be used to justify U.S. military intervention in at least 60 countries."

"The U.S.-led "War on Drugs" has escalated rapidly over the last month: after the White House signed a secret directive authorizing attacks on Latin American drug cartels, the U.S. built up its military presence in the region and began conducting a series of deadly airstrikes on alleged drug-smuggling civilian boats in the international waters of the Caribbean. Human Rights Watch called the strikes "unlawful extrajudicial killings.""

"How far Washington should go in its new counternarcotics campaign has been a source of controversy within the Trump administration. When the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) proposed the use of the U.S. military to attack cartels within Mexican territory during a White House meeting earlier this year, officials from the Defense Department and other agencies reportedly objected, in part because the executive branch lacked sufficient legal authorization to do so."

A draft proposal would authorize U.S. military force against drug cartels and could be used to justify intervention in at least 60 countries. A secret White House directive authorized attacks on Latin American cartels, prompting a U.S. military buildup and deadly airstrikes on alleged drug-smuggling civilian boats in Caribbean international waters. Human Rights Watch labeled those strikes unlawful extrajudicial killings. The DEA sought permission to use military force inside Mexico, but Defense Department and other officials objected, citing insufficient legal authorization. An Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is the common legal instrument for justifying military hostilities.

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