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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 18 January 2020
Eleven U.S. troops flown to medical

centers after Iran strike

By ROBERT BURNS can casualties was espe- The AP had reported this
AP National Security Writer cially significant at the time on Monday when reporters
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elev- because the missile at- were allowed to visit the at-
en U.S. troops were flown tack's results were seen as tacked base, Ain al-Asad,
out of Iraq for evaluation of influencing a U.S. decision in western Iraq. Thursday's
concussion-like symptoms on whether to retaliate and statement said that "out
in the days following an Ira- risk a broader war with Iran. of an abundance of cau-
nian missile strike that Presi- Trump chose not to retali- tion," some of the injured
dent Donald Trump had ate, and the tensions with troops were flown out of
said caused no harm to Iran have eased some- Iraq for follow-on screen-
In this Dec. 20, 2019 file photo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper American forces, officials what. Pakistani Foreign ing. Medical personnel at
speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington.
Associated Press said Friday. Minister Shah Mahmood Ain al-Asad do not have a
The Pentagon's chief Qureshi, who was in Wash- magnetic resonance im-
spokesman, Jonathan ington Friday to meet with aging scanner, which can
Hoffman, said Defense Secretary of State Mike be used to diagnose brain
Secretary Mark Esper did Pompeo, told reporters injuries.
not know of the injuries un- that Iranian leaders told "I think everyone would
til he was told Thursday af- him earlier this week in Teh- agree that we could con-
ternoon that the 11 troops ran that their missile attack sider this an injury," Hoff-
had been sent for evalu- was sufficient for now as man said of the concussion
ation at U.S. medical fa- retaliation for the U.S. killing symptoms, which he said
cilities — eight in Germany of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, became apparent over
and three in Kuwait. Hoff- leader of the Iranian Rev- a period of days. Most or
man said the notification olutionary Guard Corps' all of the troops initially re-
to Esper was in line with Quds Force. sumed their military duties,
military procedures, which "They do not want to fight. he said. One service mem-
he said do not require noti- They do not want war," ber with concussion-like
fication of service member Qureshi told a news confer- symptoms was flown out
casualties to the Pentagon ence at the Pakistan Em- of Iraq on Jan. 10; the rest
unless they involve the loss bassy. After Esper was no- were taken out five days
of life, limb or eyesight. tified of the possible brain later, Hoffman said. He
As recently as Tuesday injuries on Thursday, U.S. denied that anyone had
night, Trump said he had Central Command put out downplayed the lethal po-
been told no American a public statement saying tential of the Iranian missiles
had been harmed in the "several" troops were treat- or delayed the reporting of
Iranian missile strike on Jan. ed for concussion symp- the injuries out of political
8. The question of Ameri- toms from the missile blasts. considerations.q

Ex-US Rep. Collins gets over

2 years in insider trading case

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and
JIM MUSTIAN Associated
Press
NEW YORK (AP) — A for-
mer congressman who
was one of President Don-
ald Trump's first support-
ers was sentenced Friday
to two years and two
months in federal prison
after admitting he helped
his son and others dodge
$800,000 in stock market
losses when he learned
that a drug trial by a small Former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins arrives at federal court for
pharmaceutical compa- sentencing Friday, Jan. 17, 2020, in New York. Collins pleaded
ny had failed. guilty last fall to insider trading and lying to the FBI.
Christopher Collins, 69, Associated Press
was sentenced by U.S. cials. "My life has been shat-
District Judge Vernon Collins broke down and tered."
S. Broderick in Manhat- apologized to his family The sentence came even
tan after the Republican and his former constitu- after Collins' lawyers ar-
pleaded guilty in October ents and colleagues. gued he was sorry and
to conspiracy to commit "I stand here today as a should face no prison
securities fraud and lying disgraced former mem- time in the insider trading
to law enforcement offi- ber of Congress," he said. case. q