Early Saturday morning, after cloud cover lifted, elite Army Delta Force commandos moved in. With support from CIA covert operators and other military, intelligence, and law enforcement personnel, they carried out the Trump administration’s audacious regime-change project in Venezuela, upending global order and shattering what remains of geopolitical norms.

As the day wore on, the full scope of the operation became clear: The U.S. had attacked a sovereign nation with which it was not at war and did so without congressional authorization; kidnapped its leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and rendered them to the United States; announced plans to “run” that country as a de facto colony; and threatened further attacks and military occupation unless the acting president does America’s bidding.

“We’re in charge,” Trump said of Venezuela on Sunday night, speaking to reporters on Air Force One. “We’re going to run everything.”

Reflecting on the operation, dubbed Absolute Resolve, a senior defense official called America a “rogue state” and pronounced dead the liberal rules-based geopolitical order which U.S. administrations, of both parties, have championed since World War II.

“His powers are rooted in the fearmongering post-9/11 decisions creating emergency powers that were never reined back in.”

“It’s crazy how we are following the old, failed scripts: Topple government. Make no plans for the aftermath,” the senior defense official said. “We must face the reality Trump has no limits. His powers are rooted in the fearmongering post-9/11 decisions creating emergency powers that were never reined back in.”

The administration has justified Absolute Resolve by citing the president’s authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack.

Sarah Harrison, who previously advised Pentagon policymakers on issues related to human rights and the law of war, said that the attack was a clear violation of international law and the administration’s justifications are baseless.

“Countries cannot go around the world using force against other states merely due to criminal activity. On this point the administration has put forward one of the most groundless legal arguments,” Harrison told The Intercept. “What happened on January 3 was clearly an offensive, not a defensive, mission, and an act of aggression in violation of the U.N. charter and customary international law.”

“Countries cannot go around the world using force against other states.”

“There’s a pervasive corrosive fear in the Pentagon among those of us opposed to Trump and his policies,” the senior defense official told The Intercept. “We have supported the country and the institutions for decades and now watch as they are being dismantled.”

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson did not reply to repeated requests for comment concerning the statements by the senior defense official.

Forever Wars

Over the weekend, Trump repeatedly threatened continued war in Venezuela, as the U.S. maintains a massive military presence in the Caribbean, including the largest naval flotilla in the region since the Cold War. “We’re prepared,” Trump said of possible follow-up........

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