Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Pentagon has revealed that 34 service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq earlier this month.
- …President Donald Trump had initially said no troops had been injured in the January 8 strike on the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq
- Strikes were in retaliation for the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani
President Donald Trump had initially said no troops had been injured in the January 8 strike on the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq in a retaliation attack for the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
Last week the U.S. military said 11 American troops had been treated for concussion symptoms after the attack and this week said additional troops had been moved out of Iraq for potential injuries.
After the first reports that some soldiers had been hurt, Trump referred to them as ‘headaches’ and said the cases were not as serious as injuries involving the loss of limbs.
The military said symptoms were not immediately reported after the strike and in some cases became known days later.
Pentagon chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said on Friday that 17 of the 34 U.S. troops are still under medical observation.
Eight service members who had been previously transported to Germany had been moved to the United States.
The service members were transported earlier Friday and would receive treatment at either Walter Reed military hospital or their home bases.
Nine service members remain in Germany and are undergoing evaluations and treatment.
Pentagon officials have said there had been no effort to minimize or delay information on concussive injuries.
But its handling of the injuries following Tehran’s attack has renewed questions over the U.S. military’s policy regarding how it deals with suspected brain injuries.
Culled from Vanguard.