On boats – Julian E. Barnes and Helene Cooper in NYT:

‘President Trump warned airlines and pilots on Saturday that the airspace near Venezuela was closed, ratcheting up what his administration has characterized as a war against drug cartels.’

(…)

‘As president of the United States, Mr. Trump has no authority over Venezuelan airspace. But foreign governments and airlines often follow the United States’ lead. Earlier this month, a handful of foreign carriers had canceled flights to Venezuela after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a safety warning about the country. For now, several hundred flights from other countries into Venezuela remain scheduled for December, most of them operated by smaller airlines in the region, according to Cirium, an aviation data firm.’

(…)

‘“President Trump’s reckless actions towards Venezuela are pushing America closer and closer to another costly foreign war,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, said in a statement. “Under our Constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war — not the president — and Congress has not authorized the use of military force against Venezuela.” Whether Mr. Trump plans to conduct strikes imminently is not clear, but the actions and threats have the effect of increasing pressure on Mr. Maduro and his government.’

(…)

‘In reality, Venezuela plays only a small part in the drug trade in America, according to drug experts and U.S. government assessments. Cocaine produced in Colombia does pass through Venezuela, but most of it goes to Europe. Colombian cocaine that is headed to the United States is exported through the Pacific Ocean. And U.S. agencies have determined that fentanyl is produced almost entirely in Mexico, not in Venezuela, with chemicals imported from China.
From the beginning, the boat strikes have come under criticism from Democrats, who have said they are unauthorized, illegal and amount to murder or extrajudicial killing. And on Saturday, critics of the campaign said the closing of the airspace amounted to a threat to use force.’

(…)

‘In a joint statement, Mr. Wicker and the committee’s top Democrat, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, said they would examine the follow-on strikes that the military had carried out.
“The committee has directed inquiries to the department, and we will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances,” the statement said.’

Read the article here.

A small and happy in the way to the Nobel?

Or no war at the last moment? An even better way to the Nobel?

Provoke and kill (smugglers or people designated as smugglers), and then make peace, and get your prize.