Trio of top US leaders brief Trump on Iraqi attack that left US contractor dead, several others wounded
Top leaders headed to Florida to brief Pres. trump about air strikes against and IranIan backed militia group in Iraq.Mike Pompeo Mark Esper and Gen Milley delivered the briefing at Mar a Lago ballroom.
Pompeo: “We will not stand for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take actions that put American men and women in jeopardy.” Iran has warned there may be ”consequences.”
The attack that took place against the Iraqi facility threatened American forces. This has been going on now for weeks and weeks and weeks. This wasn't the first set of attacks against this particular Iraqi facility and others where there were American lives at risk. And today what we did is take a decisive response that makes clear what President Trump has said for months and months and months, which is that we will not stand for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take actions that put American men and women in jeopardy. We will always honor that commitment to take decisive actions when that takes place. We continue to demand the Islamic Republic of Iran act in a way that is consistent with what I laid out back in May 2018, for what it is that we expect Iran to do so that it can rejoin the community of nations."
Esper:
Said DOD "took offensive actions in defense of our personnel and interests in Iraq by launching F-15 Strike Eagles against five targets associated with Kata'ib Hezbollah, which is an Iranian-sponsored Shiite militia group. The targets we attacked included three targets in Western Iraq and two targets in Eastern Syria, that were either command and control facilities or weapons caches for Kata'ib Hezbollah."
"The strikes were successful. The pilots and aircraft returned back to base safely. I would add that in our discussion today with the president, we discussed with him other options that are available. And I would note also that we will take additional actions as necessary to ensure that we act in our own self-defense and we deter further bad behavior from militia groups or from Iran. Thank you."
Milley, in uniform, did not speak. The men left without taking questions. Hogan Gidley from the WH press office presided.