Eleven U.S. service members reportedly received treatment for injuries that they sustained during the missile attack that Iran launched on January 8, 2020, which top officials stated at the time resulted in no causalities.
“No one was killed or wounded in the five barrages of multiple missiles that night, although several military personnel who were working were checked for concussions,” The New York Times reported. “The absence of casualties seemed to be the result of luck and warnings.”
Defense One reported that a spokesman for the U.S. military command in Baghdad said: “As previously stated, while no U.S. service members were killed in the Jan. 8 Iranian attack on Al Asad Air base, several were treated for concussion symptoms from the blast and are still being assessed.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, some service members were transported from Al Asad Air Base, Iraq to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, others were sent to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, for follow-on screening,” said Col. Myles Caggins, spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. “When deemed fit for duty, the service members are expected to return to Iraq following screening. The health and welfare of our personnel is a top priority and we will not discuss any individual’s medical status.”
A separate U.S. defense official speaking on background told Defense One that eleven Americans had been sent out of Iraq for treatment.
The official said, “As a standard procedure, all personnel in the vicinity of a blast are screened for traumatic brain injury, and if deemed appropriate, are transported to a higher level of care. At this time, eight individuals have been transported to Landstuhl, and three have been transported to Camp Arifjan.”
The Alzheimer’s Association reports that symptoms for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) “may not develop for days or weeks.”
CNN’s Jim Sciutto, who is a former Obama administration official, rushed to politicize the event, writing: “Breaking: 11 US service-members were injured during Iranian missile attack on Al Asad airbase in Iraq. Following the attack, the Pentagon had said no casualties had resulted from the 16 missiles fired by Iran.”
Breaking: 11 US service-members were injured during Iranian missile attack on Al Asad airbase in Iraq.
Following the attack, the Pentagon had said no casualties had resulted from the 16 missiles fired by Iran.
-CNN reporting
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) January 17, 2020
Sciutto’s tweet makes the suggestion that the Trump administration lied about the results from the attack but does not inform on what the specific injuries were or that the troops that were taken in for treatment were taken for treatment as “a standard procedure” and “out of an abundance of caution.”
Sciutto also did not report what a defense source told his network about the discrepancy, “That was the commander’s assessment at the time. Symptoms emerged days after the fact, and they were treated out of an abundance of caution.”
Former Pentagon official Alex Plitsas responded to Sciutto by writing: “Multiple US defense sources say that the US battle damage assessments confirmed that were no US wounded or killed as a result of the attack, which has been confirmed by sources on the ground. The term ‘injured’ being used may refer to troops who felt concussion symptoms.”
Multiple US defense sources say that the US battle damage assessments confirmed that were no US wounded or killed as a result of the attack, which has been confirmed by sources on the ground. The term “injured” being used may refer to troops who felt concussion symptoms. #Iraq https://t.co/uKtG8hm318
— Alex Plitsas (@alexplitsas) January 17, 2020
Attorney and U.S. veteran James Hasson responded: “There’s *a ton* of misinterpretation of what this means. Maybe good faith, maybe not. TBI symptoms frequently take days or weeks to appear. There’s initial testing and then follow up testing conducted as a matter of course after an event like this. It’s not like external wounds.”
There’s *a ton* of misinterpretation of what this means. Maybe good faith, maybe not.
TBI symptoms frequently take days or weeks to appear. There’s initial testing and then follow up testing conducted as a matter of course after an event like this. It’s not like external wounds. https://t.co/f3B2RRhSSJ
— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) January 17, 2020
Mediaite Editor Caleb Howe responded: “Go figure overtly partisan @jimsciutto , one of the worst in the business, is on the bandwagon.”
Go figure overtly partisan @jimsciutto, one of the worst in the business, is on the bandwagon. https://t.co/ZJHlAFQ4wi
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 17, 2020
CNN’s Breaking News account tweeted: “Several US service members were injured during last week’s Iranian missile attack on Al-Asad airbase in Iraq despite the Pentagon initially saying that no casualties had taken place.”
Popular conservative Twitter account AG responded: “There is 0 contradiction between those two things. Not sure why CNN is pretending otherwise. … Search the link. It’s a bunch of people baselessly accusing the administration and pentagon of lying. I guess that’s why.”
Search the link. It’s a bunch of people baselessly accusing the administration and pentagon of lying. I guess that’s why.
— (((AG))) (@AGHamilton29) January 17, 2020