OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:05 PM PT — Thursday, March 12, 2020
The Defense Department is considering a military response to the latest deadly attack on a coalition military base in Iraq. On Thursday, Secretary Mark Esper stated “all options are on the table” in terms of the potential response to the recent rocket attack on Camp Taji.
✔@EsperDoD
As I stated earlier, the United States will not tolerate Iran-backed attacks against our people, our interests, and our Allies. All options are on the table as we work with our partners to bring the perpetrators to justice, and maintain deterrence.
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Two Americans and one British citizen were killed in Wednesday’s attack. More than two dozen rockets were launched at the facility from a nearby truck, 18 of which reportedly hit the base. According to the defense secretary, the strike was carried out by an Iranian-backed Shia militia, which targeted coalition troops in the region.
✔@OIRSpox
UPDATE: 3 Coalition personnel were killed during a rocket attack on Camp Taji, March 11. Names of personnel are withheld pending next of kin notification. Camp Taji is an Iraqi base that hosts @CJTFOIR personnel for anti-ISIS training & advising missions. Full statement below.
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The two U.S. service members who fell victim to the attack have not been publicly identified. Officials are working to inform their families.
Esper has stressed the U.S. will not tolerate this incident and will bring the perpetrators to justice.
This photo released by the government-affiliated Media Security Cell on Thursday, March 12, 2020, shows a rocket-rigged truck launcher after a rocket attack on Camp Taji, a few miles north of Baghdad, in Rashidiya, Iraq. (Media Security Cell via AP)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also condemned the rocket strike.
✔@SecPompeo
Today’s deadly attack on Iraq’s Camp Taji military base will not be tolerated. @DominicRaab and I agree – those responsible must be held accountable.
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U.S. Central Command General Frank McKenzie has said the investigation remains underway. He believes Iran has retreated back to its proxies to avoid any state-on-state attack, which could trace accountability directly back to Tehran.
Despite this, Secretary Esper reiterated, “You don’t get to shoot at our bases, kill and wound Americans, and get away with it.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has echoed these remarks, claiming that Iran will face an aggressive U.S. response. He suggested President Trump should respond to Iran with the harshest possible terms.
“I think the president’s going to be very aggressive,” he said. “At the time of our choosing, we should hit back.”
According to Graham, the Iranian-backed militants who carried out the attack will be the main target of retaliatory measures.
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