US invites dozens of military chiefs to Americas defence summit

A US National Security Strategy, released in November, promised to “assert and enforce a ‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine” of the early 19th century. Bloomberg

• US military leaders from 34 nations to meet in Washington on February 11
• Summit seeks to enhance cooperation against drug traffickers and criminal groups.
• Trump emphasizes Americas post-Venezuela raid amid regional tensions.

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General Dan Caine, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, will lead a summit of fellow military leaders to coordinate the campaign against narcotics traffickers and other criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere.

“Chiefs of defense and senior military representatives from 34 nations will meet to build shared understanding of common security priorities and strengthen regional cooperation,” the Defence Department said in a statement on Friday.

Participants at the gathering in Washington on February 11 “will explore the importance of strong partnerships, continued cooperation, and united efforts to counter criminal and terrorist organizations, as well as external actors undermining regional security and stability,” the department added.

The unusual event underscores the priority that President Donald Trump’s foreign policy places on the Americas, weeks after he ordered a military raid on Venezuela that led to the capture of that nation’s president, Nicolás Maduro.

A US National Security Strategy, released in November, promised to “assert and enforce a ‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine” of the early 19th century. The incursion in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas unfolded after a year of Trump upending relations with regional allies, particularly Mexico and Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a closely watched address at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week warned of great powers coercing small nations.

Although Carney did not mention Trump by name, the American president rebuked his northern neighbor during his own Davos speech, saying that the US provides Canada with defense and security and should be more grateful. “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” Trump said.

The announcement of the meeting to be hosted by Caine, which was reported earlier by the New York Times, came as US forces carried out an attack on a boat in the Eastern Pacific that they say was carrying narcotics.

Two people on the boat were killed and a third survived, according to US Southern Command. It was believed to be the the first such attack since the raid on Caracas.

The Pentagon didn’t name the countries that might send military officials to Washington, but they include Western Hemisphere nations and others with territorial possessions there, such as the UK and France, which have had a presence in the Americas dating from colonial times, according to people familiar with the matter.