[ONLINE] US attacks on "narco-terrorist" boats

This event is part of an occasional SFDebate series that we call "cancellation of the month", where we pick someone who has been in the news for having lost a job, a platform, a contract, or a nomination, and there is a lot of public debate, usually polarized, about whether or not the person deserved it. We look at the reasons given for the "cancellation", and discuss whether or not we think those were good reasons. Then at the end, we vote on our approval or disapproval of the "cancellation."

This time, we'll debate the merits of Operation Southern Spear: Since September 1, 2025, the U.S. military has engaged in airstrikes destroying at least 68 vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in the deaths of 227 people. In recent weeks, 2 vessels have been destroyed along with everyone on board, while 6 others have been boarded and sunk after the crew have been apprehended. Sinking someone's boat is a form of cancellation (losing a platform), while killing someone is of course the ultimate form of cancellation.

In the past 3 weeks, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has engaged in the following activities as part of Operation Southern Spear (links to SOUTHCOM website).

• "Lethal Kinetic Strikes": August 23, "The operation killed two narco-terrorists"; and August 25, "The operation killed four narco-terrorists."
• "Interdictions of Narco-Terrorist Refueling Vessels": In these cases, U.S. forces removed individuals from vessels in the eastern Pacific and handed them over to Ecuadorian authorities, and sank the vessels, on August 28, September 2, September 3, September 5, September 7, and September 8.

The military has justified these operations on the grounds that the vessels are involved in narco-trafficking, and the people on board are "narco-terrorists." Critics decry a lack of due process, and even a lack of evidence, and accuse the U.S. military of war crimes or simply murder.

Come to SFDebate and discuss!

Our meeting will be conducted on Zoom. The Zoom link will be visible here on the event page before the event to those who RSVP. It's your choice if you want to turn on your camera or not, but people who can be seen are often more persuasive. At SFDebate, everyone gets a chance to speak and is encouraged to do so, but no one is required to speak if they don't want to.