dismissed 109 service member’s traumatic brain injuries as “headaches”?

In the aftermath of Trump’s drone strike on a senior Iranian official, Iran launched a missile barrage at Iraqi military bases housing US soldiers. There were no deaths suffered in the attack.

Trump said afterward that there were no casualties. Within a month, the Department of Defense reported that a total of 109 service members suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Trump downplayed the injuries, saying, describing them as “headaches.”

In Trump’s complete remarks, he discounted the severity of TBIs based on comparison to other injuries:

“I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it’s not very serious. Not very serious. They told me about it numerous days later, you’ll have to ask the Department of Defense. No, I don’t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I’ve seen. I’ve seen what Iran has done with their roadside bombs to our troops. I’ve seen people with no legs and with no arms. I’ve seen people that were horribly, horribly injured in that area, that war, in fact many cases, put those bombs, put there by Soleimani, who’s no longer with us. I consider them to be really bad injuries. No, I do not consider that to be bad injuries, no.”

Traumatic brain injuries are forms of brain damage resulting from sudden blows to the head. They have become an increasingly common form of injury among service members since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, in part due to the prevalence of IEDs. Its symptoms can range from mild to having a permanent and devastating effect. There have been over 400,000 confirmed cases among US service members since 2000.

Center for Disease Control – Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The Washington Post – Trump’s no-injuries claim about Iran keeps looking worse
Business Insider – Trump reportedly downplayed the seriousness of military brain injuries again by saying he’s seen worse
Military Times – 109 US troops diagnosed with TBI after Iran missile barrage says Pentagon in latest update
Military.com – Traumatic Brain Injury Overview
Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center – DoD Worldwide Numbers for TBI
Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

described an inadequate military briefing used to justify an attack on Iran as the “best presentation they’ve ever seen”?

Trump justified a strike on a senior Iranian official and escalated tensions by claiming that he represented an imminent threat, possibly targeting up to four US embassies. At a briefing for Congressional representatives those present reported that they weren’t given any meaningful information, despite asking multiple times about the nature of the imminent threat. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah described it as “the worst briefing” he’d ever seen on a military issue.

When asked about this, Trump in typical fashion replied some people said that it actually the “best presentation they’ve ever seen.” He provided little further information on the nature of the imminent threat.

Axios – GOP Sen. Mike Lee calls Soleimani briefing the “worst” he’s ever seen
Roll Call – Trump to Lee: Other people called it ‘best presentation they’ve ever seen’

threatened to bomb Iranian cultural sites?

Amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran following the drone strike of a senior official, Trump threatened to destroy a variety of targets including “some at a very high level & important to Iran & Iranian culture.” The deliberate destruction of cultural sites constitutes a war crime. The Pentagon immediately contradicted Trump by ruling out any such targets.

The threat is in line with similar rhetoric that Trump has employed before, such as the need to target the families of terrorists or reinstate torture techniques.

BBC News – Trump says US ready to strike 52 Iranian sites if Tehran attacks
The New York Times – Pentagon Rules Out Striking Iranian Cultural Sites, Contradicting Trump

ordered a drone strike on a senior Iranian official?

On January 3, 2020 Qassem Soleimani, leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and a senior political figure in the Iranian government, was killed by a drone strike, along with several others in his motorcade. The Quds Force was designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 2007, as it supported militant proxy groups like Hezbollah. Iran claimed that Soleimani was in Iraq at time to meet with officials to deescalating regional tensions. However, officials believed that he was working to target US military forces in the region to instigate reprisals and galvanize public support for the government, which had been facing domestic protests.

Trump received criticism of the unilateral action for escalating tensions by assassinating a political figure. While Israel and Saudi Arabia were briefed ahead of the move, and Trump reportedly made mention to patrons at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago, no briefing was given to Congress. He had similarly briefed Russia on another airstrike before Congress. Instead, he asserted that his tweets constitute official notice. Tensions were further inflamed by his threat to target and destroy Iranian cultural sites, a war-crime, and a claim which the Pentagon ruled out.

While the White House had originally claimed that Soleimani posed an imminent threat, requiring the strike, little information was offered to Congress or the American people. His intelligence briefing was derided even by Republicans. Instead, Trump cited his “horrible past” as sufficient cause.

Though Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal and instituted sanctions, Iran continued to adhere to the agreement until this strike.

Before becoming President, Trump said multiple times that Obama would provoke Iran into conflict to secure re-election.

Business Insider – Why Iran’s Qassem Soleimani was on a not-so-secret trip to Iraq when he was assassinated
Business Insider – Here’s what’s in the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that the country withdrew from amid heightened tensions with the US
The Atlantic – Soleimani Was Failing
NBC News – Iran pulling out of nuclear deal commitment after U.S. strike that killed Soleimani
Los Angeles Times – Israel had advance notice of U.S. plan to kill Iranian general Suleimani, report says
Daily Beast – Trump Told Mar-a-Lago Pals to Expect ‘Big’ Iran Action ‘Soon’
NPR – Trump Says He’ll Target Iran’s Cultural Sites. That’s Illegal
The New York Times – Pentagon Rules Out Striking Iranian Cultural Sites, Contradicting Trump
The New York Times – A Narrative Collapses as Trump Tweets: ‘It Doesn’t Really Matter’

withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal?

The Iran Nuclear Deal was an agreement reached between the United States, Iran, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China. It strictly limited the amount of enriched uranium and enrichment equipment Iran could have for a period of 15 years. In exchange, sanctions on Iran were to be lifted, and Iranian funds frozen after the 1979 revolution were to be returned.

Trump described the Obama administration’s “embarrassing” treaty with Iran to be “decaying and rotten.” He withdrew the United States from the deal unilaterally in 2018 and restored prior sanctions. The European Union sought to maintain the agreement, and passed a blocking statute to ban all EU citizens and business with complying with US sanctions on Iran. Iran continued to take part in the agreement until January of 2020, when a US drone strike killed a senior Iranian official.

Before becoming President, Trump said multiple times that Obama would provoke Iran into conflict to secure re-election.

BBC News – Iran nuclear deal: Trump pulls US out in break with Europe allies
The New York Times – Trump Abandons Iran Nuclear Deal He Long Scorned
Business Insider – Here’s what’s in the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that the country withdrew from amid heightened tensions with the US
Reuters – EU aims to block U.S. sanctions on Iran
Wikipedia – Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

repeatedly said Obama would start a war with Iran?

The various tweets in which Trump predicted that Obama would attack Iran to secure the Presidency never came to pass. Instead, the Obama administration negotiated the Iran Nuclear Deal, which Trump withdrew the US from. Trump also later ordered a drone strike on a senior Iranian official and threatened to bomb Iranian cultural sites, prompting outcry and threats of retaliation.

 

 

revealed sensitive information on a US spy satellite in a tweet about Iran?

Trump’s inclusion of a photo taken from a spy satellite in his tweet revealed the resolution and location of the US’ best surveillance satellites. Using the angle of the photo, it was even possible for amateurs to determine exactly which satellite took it.

Forbes – Trump Accidentally Revealed The Amazing Resolution Of U.S. Spy Satellites
Wired – Trump Tweeted a Sensitive Photo. Internet Sleuths Decoded It
NPR – Amateurs Identify U.S. Spy Satellite Behind President Trump’s Tweet

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