Trump authorizes military to respond attack on US base in Iraq
Story summary
US President Donald Trump has authorized the US military to respond to a rocket attack on Wednesday that hit a military base housing American troops near the capital Baghdad.
The attack against Taji military camp killed three members of the US-led coalition, including two Americans and one Briton.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack in which 18 107 mm Katyusha rockets struck the camp.
On Thursday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, said, “I have spoken with the president. He’s given me the authority to do what we need to do, consistent with his guidance.”
According to Press TV Esper warned that all options were on the table without naming any specific group to be targeted.
“I’m not going to take any option off the table right now, but we are focused on the group - groups - that we believe perpetrated this in Iraq, as the immediate (focus),” he told reporters at the Pentagon.
On Thursday, Iraqi President Barham Salih and caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi decried the attack.
The Iraqi president, in a statement, described the strikes as an attack on Iraq and its security, stressing the need for thorough investigations to identify the perpetrators.
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