00:00Let me start by asking you, Dr. Ramadan, it's been reported that the U.S. Secretary of State
00:04Marco Rubio and the U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are holding this closed door
00:09classified briefing for all senators. And that'll be followed by another briefing for
00:14all representatives today about strategy towards Venezuela. What do you think is about to happen?
00:21Good morning, Tom. Thanks for having me. The question here is, will there be a ground
00:28invasion or ground military operation or not? And that is most likely why the administration
00:38is updating Congress today on what is happening. In order for the President of the United States to
00:44use any ground troops, it is pretty much agreed upon in the legal community that he will need
00:50Congress to approve that. He does not need Congress to approve the water attacks and
00:58the limited operations that are taking place today as part of the war against narcotics or to stop
01:07narcotics from getting into the United States. But any land incursion or any land operation that
01:13involves U.S. troops will require Congress approval. And that's why today it is reported that Secretary
01:21State Rubio and Secretary of War Hegseth are on Capitol Hill updating and informing members of Congress of
01:30both the Senate and the House of the situation on the ground, possible options, what the U.S. can and
01:36not necessarily planning, but the options for the U.S. president. I do not believe that the U.S. president has
01:43made any decisions at this point beyond the increased pressure and the increased sanctions and the
01:51continuation of targeting small boats as they are smuggling narcotics and the sanctions or the extension of
02:03sanctions by grabbing U.S. tankers under the U.S. sanctions. I'm sorry, Venezuelan tankers under the U.S. sanctions.
02:11So all options are on the table. It is a tense situation. It is escalating. But the exact intentions are not determined yet.
