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Jumat, 13 Maret 2020

U.S. counters Iraq’s condemnation of U.S. airstrikes on Iran-backed militia facilities - The Washington Post

LONDON — The United States and Iraq were at odds Friday over the impact of airstrikes aimed at avenging the deaths of coalition soldiers this week, with a top U.S. general saying the munitions hit military targets while Iraq insisted that there were regular troops and a civilian among the dead.

The U.S. military said early Friday morning that it had launched “defensive precision strikes” against targets linked to the Kataib Hezbollah group, calling them a proportional response to a rocket attack which killed one British and two American service members Wednesday on an Iraqi military base north of Baghdad.

Marine Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie Jr., the chief of U.S. Central Command, said in a briefing at the Pentagon that strikes hit five facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah to store advanced conventional weapons. “The strikes, carried out by manned aircraft, all occurred south and west of Baghdad,” McKenzie said.

He showed before and after photographic imagery of sites in Jurf al-Sakhar, Karbala, Al Musayyib and Arab Nawar Ahmad, and said they showed that precise weapons were used to maximize damage but limit civilian harm.

“We assessed that each location stored weapons that would enable lethal operations against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq,” the general said. “We also assessed that the destruction of these sites will degrade Kataib Hezbollah’s ability to conduct future strikes.” McKenzie said the U.S. military was “very comfortable with the level of damage that we were able to achieve,” at that those sites.

But in Iraq, the strikes were met with a flurry of condemnation, as leading military and political figures said that three soldiers and two policemen had been killed in the attacks, along with a civilian who was working in an airport that was under construction.

It was unclear if any militiamen had been killed.

The Iraqi military described the attacks as “treacherous,” saying three regular soldiers had been killed in the strikes, as well as two policemen whose bodies had yet to be recovered from the rubble. Iraq’s president, Barham Salih, described the strikes as a “violation of national sovereignty.”

Authorities in charge of the Karbala International Airport said that one of their facilities had also been hit and that a civilian working there had been killed. “The airport is purely civilian,” they said in a statement, calling local media to the scene to back up their assertion.

McKenzie, in response to a question, acknowledged that one of the strike sites was at a civilian airport. The facility has been under construction since 2017. Iraqi state television channels showed a dilapidated building with windows blown out. Peeling off above the door was blue lettering that read ‘Karbala International Airport’ and ‘Site Offices’.

U.S. officials are still assessing the target sites, he said, in part because bad weather has made it difficult to do so immediately. The locations were “clearly terrorist bases,” he added, and that if Iraqi military forces were there, “it’s probably not a good idea to position yourself with Kataib Hezbollah in the wake of a strike killed Americans and coalition members.”

The strikes risk intensifying already simmering tensions between the U.S.-led coalition and an array of political and armed forces who want western soldiers to leave Iraq. Kataib Hezbollah has threatened Iraqis working with the U.S.-led coalition and told them to distance themselves before March 15, or face attack.

Iran backs a handful of powerful militias in Iraq, including Kataib Hezbollah, and representatives of each group hold positions within the state apparatus.

The militias often help to enforce Tehran’s interests, attacking a protest movement that is critical of it, or the U.S. forces that Iran wants to expel. But experts say Iran’s overall control of these militias remains unclear. At the local level, for example, they also pursue their own strategic goals.

In the briefing Friday, McKenzie insisted that the Karbala airport site had been used to store weapons.

“The fact of the matter is, that was a very clear target,” he said. “It may have been on the airfield. I can’t tell you what else was in there, but I know it was being used for purposes of targeting us. That’s the reason we struck it.”

President Trump has made it clear that the death of American personnel in Iraq is a red line for his administration. The death of a U.S. contractor in a rocket attack late last year set in motion escalating tit-for-tat strikes that brought Washington and Tehran to the brink of war: Iran-backed militias besieged Baghdad’s U.S. Embassy as guards in the capital’s Green Zone stepped aside. Trump then ordered the killing of renowned Iranian military commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani on Iraqi soil, and Iran hit back with a wave of ballistic missiles that came close to killing U.S. soldiers and injured more than one hundred.

Tensions have ebbed since their peak in January, as has much of the immediate pressure for coalition troops to leave Iraq. But the potential for another round of escalation has never been far away. U.S. and European officials say Iran-backed militias have continued to launch rocket attacks on Iraqi military bases hosting coalition troops, or on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

On Friday morning, the Pentagon also released the identities of the U.S. troops killed in the rocket attack on Camp Taji on Wednesday.

They were Army Spec. Juan Miguel Mendez Covarrubias, 27, of Hanford, Calif., and Air Force Staff Sgt. Marshal D. Roberts, 28, of Owasso, Okla. Mendez Covarrubias was a member of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Air Cavalry Brigade at Fort Hood, Tex., while Roberts was a member of the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 219th Engineering Installation Squadron.

The British government has identified their fatality at Camp Taji as Lance Cpl. Brodie Gillon, 26. She was a reservist and combat medical technician with the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry and deployed with the Irish Guards Battle Group, the British Ministry of Defense said.

McKenzie said the Iraqi government knew the United States was planning strikes — something that was telegraphed publicly in Washington on Thursday in remarks from Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Although there was no immediate response from Kataib Hezbollah on Friday, the Iraqi militia network of which it is a part — known as the Popular Mobilization Forces — said it was preparing an “important” statement.

Lamothe reported from Washington; Salim reported from Baghdad.

U.S. and coalition troops killed in rocket attack in Iraq, potentially spiking tensions with Iran

Marine from Maryland dies battling Islamic State militants

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2020-03-13 16:06:28Z
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Trump plans to declare national emergency over coronavirus pandemic - CNBC

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to journalists while hosting Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar in the Oval Office at the White House March 12, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images

President Donald Trump plans to declare a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, according to adminstration officials who spoke to NBC News.

The declaration would free up financial resources to assist Americans affected by the outbreak.

The president has scheduled a 3 p.m. ET press conference Friday at the White House.

The conference is set to occur shortly after Trump is scheduled to meet at the White House with major laboratory company executives about the response to the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

A White House spokesman declined to comment when asked about the plan.

Trump's emergency designation is expected to fall under the Stafford Act, a law which allows for two different types of presidential declarations.

The first is an emergency, which is what Trump is expected to declare.

The second designation is a major disaster, which gives emergency management even more access to resources. Either way, both of the designations place FEMA in charge of what happens.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that he, Trump and the rest of leaders of the Group of 7 economic giant nations have "agreed to organize an extraordinary Leaders Summit by videoconference on Monday on Covid-19," the name of the diseased caused by the coronavirus.

"We will coordinate research efforts on a vaccine and treatments, and work on an economic and financial response," Macron announced in a tweet.

The announcement of a national emergency in the United States would come just a day after Trump said he was not yet ready to make such a declaration.

"We have very strong emergency powers under the Stafford Act, and we are — we have it — I mean, I have it memorized, practically, as to the powers in that act. If I need to do something, I'll do it," Trump said in an Oval Office meeting with Ireland's Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar.

"I have the right to do a lot of things that people don't even know about."

An emergency declaration also would put to rest weeks of debate within the White House, where different factions of Trump's top aides disagreed about whether a Stafford Act declaration is necessary.

Those opposed to making the declaration, which had included Trump himself, worried that it would cause financial markets to panic.

They also feared political fallout if it appeared Trump was sending the opposite message about coronavirus, namely that it is an emergency, from the one he had consistently delivered so far.

Trump has falsely claimed that coronavirus is no more dangerous than the common flu, and that it will likely disappear quickly and without a significant impact on American life.

Health officials say neither of these statements is accurate.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency in the Big Apple on Thursday. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the same day banned gatherings of 500 or more in the state "for the forseeable future."

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC earlier Friday the White House and Congress are nearing a deal that would provide stimulus to the U.S. economy amid the coronavirus outbreak.

"I think we're very close to getting this done," Mnuchin said in a "Squawk on the Street" interview.

"The president is absolutely committed that this will be an entire government effort, that we will be working with the House and Senate."

As of Friday, there were more than 135,000 known cases of coronavirus globally, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

There also were nearly 5,000 known deaths from the virus world wide.

In the United States, there are at least 1,700 known cases, with at least 40 deaths tied to the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.

- Additional reporting by Yelena Dhzanova

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2020-03-13 16:09:15Z
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Trump grows more irate as his attempts to contain coronavirus fallout fail - CNN

Trump watched angrily from the West Wing Thursday as stock markets tumbled to their worst percentage loss since the 1987 Black Friday, casting blame on the Federal Reserve for what he increasingly believes is an attempt to ruin his presidency.

Hours earlier, Trump griped at a presidential-style address delivered by his likely election year rival, Joe Biden, complaining that Democrats won't band together to help him pull the nation from the brink.

The confluence of events has led to a sense of growing crisis inside the White House, even as Trump and his top officials continue to project calm.

He announced on Twitter Friday morning that he would have a 3 p.m. ET news conference.

Trump administration's efforts outmatched by the virus

His Wednesday evening address from the Oval Office was meant to be the "my fellow Americans" moment Trump hoped would end harsh questions about his ability to confront coronavirus.

Instead, the President's address -- laden with errors and misstatements -- caused only more doubts about his administration's grasp of the crisis.

The product of Trump's own insistence on dramatic steps to display his command of the situation and his top advisers' entreaties to convey more seriousness, Wednesday's speech required multiple clarifications from top officials and Trump himself.

Administration officials are now continuing to search for steps that could help mitigate a worsening outbreak, including haggling with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over a package of economic measures and inching closer to declaring a major disaster.

As nearly all Americans are now experiencing interruptions to everyday life, the pandemic that is consuming the White House is also inching closer to Trump himself.

By Thursday, it had become clear to administration officials their previous insistence that life would continue as normal would no longer be viable in the age of coronavirus. A political event scheduled only a day earlier in Wisconsin was scrapped, all of the President's upcoming travel was canceled and tours of the executive mansion were suspended.

On Thursday, officials were also grappling with how to handle the revelation Trump came into contact with a Brazilian official who tested positive for coronavirus. The White House remained insistent that Trump does not require testing or self-isolation.

But with results still unknown for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro himself, the situation remained uncertain, and Republican politicians -- including Sens. Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott -- went into self-quarantine after interacting with the same officials.

One of the leaders Trump spoke with by phone on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was self-isolating after his wife tested positive for coronavirus.

After publicly flouting recommendations he stop shaking hands and convening crowds of people, Trump also seemed to acknowledge, perhaps too late, it was time to alter his behavior.

"It's a very strange feeling," he said of a joint decision to abstain from shaking hands with the visiting Irish Taoiseach, in town for annual St. Patrick's Day diplomacy.

And while Trump held out the possibility a rally in Florida might proceed later this month, a source close to the President said he is concerned about coming into contact with people who have contracted coronavirus.

A powerful pulpit

Trump says he's suspending travel from Europe to US, though citizens and others are exempt

Initially resistant to the idea of an Oval Office address, Trump eventually came to see the option as a way to harness a powerful pulpit and reverse the perception that his efforts were inadequate.

In the lead-up to the speech, Trump told aides he was hoping to harness the same optics utilized by past presidents such as Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan. It was only the second time Trump had opted for the setting, which has fallen from favor in recent years as Presidents opt for different venues to address the country.

He was encouraged to deliver a formal statement by top members of his administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, who has been tasked with leading the administration's response to the virus.

His son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has also assumed a more involved role in the last few days, joining the President for several meetings on the topic and huddling with other top advisers about the administration's response, a White House official and other sources familiar with the matter said. On Thursday, he joined the President in conference calls with Republican lawmakers.

Trump is currently in between chiefs of staff after dismissing Mick Mulvaney in favor of retiring Rep. Mark Meadows, leading to a sense of upheaval in the West Wing. Both men were in the Oval Office on Thursday for Trump's meeting; Meadows recently ended a self-quarantine after coming into contact with a person who later tested positive for coronavirus.

Pence, Kushner and Trump's top speechwriter Stephen Miller were all involved in Wednesday's address, which -- aside from its inaccuracies -- tried to portray the virus as a foreign threat, despite significant instances of community spread inside the United States.

Questioning the decision

Immediately after the address, Trump questioned the decision and complained about the teleprompter from which he read the speech, blaming it for various stumbles including his inaccurate announcement that cargo would be included in the travel ban. He later clarified on Twitter the restrictions apply to "people not goods."

He remained insistent, however, that the travel restrictions on Europe -- like similar ones he placed on China in January -- would prove effective in preventing the virus from spreading in the US, even though it continues to be transmitted between Americans.

"We've taken some bold steps," he told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. "We took the original boldest step of all when we closed very early with China. That helped us save thousands of lives. And we went very early with Europe. And I think that will likewise be very good."

Trump's decision to overplay the severity of his Europe travel restrictions the previous evening reflected his ongoing frustration that he did not get enough credit for his decision in late January to restrict travel from China. Amid criticism of the US government response, Trump has repeatedly touted the "great job" his administration has done, in particular touting his decision on China travel and pointing out that he was initially criticized for taking that step.

Rather than explain that the travel ban would only apply to foreign nationals and non-US residents, Trump opted for shock value: "We will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days," he said.

He added that "there will be exemptions for Americans who have undergone appropriate screenings," even though all Americans, US permanent residents and their immediate family members are exempt.

Some airline officials were apoplectic after Trump announced the drastic-sounding European travel ban, saying they had been briefed on a much less severe travel restriction prior to the President's speech. Confusion later turned to clarity -- but not until the Department of Homeland Security laid out a more detailed statement after the Oval Office address.

'Tons of confusion'

A top European diplomat who told CNN they received word of the ban literally moments before the speech said they were given no further information.

"That's all we know. Total lack of clarity. Tons of confusion," the diplomat said.

Officials from the United Kingdom -- which is exempt from the travel restrictions -- were made aware the ban was coming, according to a person familiar with the matter, but only after they reached out to the Trump administration for clarity after reports emerged that such a move was imminent.

On Thursday, Trump admitted he hadn't told the Europeans what was coming.

"We get along very well with European leaders, but we had to make a decision and I didn't want to take time," he said. "When they raise taxes on us, they don't consult us and I think that's probably one in the same."

Trump administration officials began to seriously contemplate imposing severe travel restrictions on Europe earlier this week, with discussions reaching a crescendo on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, health officials who sit on the White House's coronavirus task force were summoned for a meeting to present to Trump the proposal to ban all foreigners who have been in 26 European countries comprising the Schengen Area in the last 14 days.

One administration official said there was a "general consensus" that the President should move forward with the severe travel restrictions, though the official said there was some disagreement about when. Another source familiar with the discussions said "there were differing opinions going on about whether a ban was needed."

When the restrictions were first raised earlier this month, "some people within the department, the scientists, the CDC were adamant that they should not do it" the source said.

In the end, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health officials did not object to the President moving forward with the travel restrictions, despite earlier misgivings.

Ongoing problems

But the move did little to end the ongoing problems plaguing the US response to the crisis, which is growing by the day. On Thursday, major American sports leagues announced suspensions or cancellations to their seasons, Broadway shows were suspending performances and schools said they were delaying classes, all in a bid to prevent the virus from spreading further.

Though it went largely unmentioned in Trump's address, administration officials spent part of Thursday seeking to explain early missteps in making coronavirus testing widely available, a key juncture that's been blamed for undetected spread.

"That is a failing," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Capitol Hill. "We're not set up for that ... and we should be."

In a conference call with surrogates, White House officials -- including Pence's chief of staff Marc Short and domestic policy director Joe Grogan -- admitted that the rollout of the tests had been "choppy" while stressing that the Food and Drug Administration is setting up a 1-800 number to provide more clarity.

Those assurances have done little to quiet concern among lawmakers that the situation is under control. Emerging from a briefing with federal health officials on Thursday morning, Sen. Mitt Romney leveled sharp criticism at the lack of testing in the US, saying he was "frustrated" and contended the answers they've been given are "not satisfactory."

Sen. James Lankford, a top GOP ally of Trump, said the President "should stop saying" that anyone can get a Covid-19 test if they want one.

And Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia, said one word when asked to describe what she heard in the briefing: "frustration."

CNN's Jim Acosta contributed to this report.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to accurately reflect Trump's tweet on the European travel ban.

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2020-03-13 15:24:57Z
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U.S. counters Iraq’s condemnation of U.S. airstrikes on Iran-backed militia facilities - The Washington Post

The U.S. military said early Friday morning that it had launched “defensive precision strikes” against targets linked to the Kataib Hezbollah group, calling them a proportional response to a rocket attack which killed one British and two American servicemen Wednesday on an Iraqi military base north of Baghdad.

Marine Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, the chief of U.S. Central Command, said in a briefing at the Pentagon that strikes hit five facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah to store advanced conventional weapons. “The strikes, carried out by manned aircraft, all occurred south and west of Baghdad, McKenzie said.

It was unclear if any militiamen had been killed.

The Iraqi military described the attacks as “treacherous,” saying that three regular soldiers had been killed in the strikes, as well as two policemen whose bodies had yet to be recovered from the rubble. Iraq’s president, Barham Salih, described the strikes as a “violation of national sovereignty.”

Authorities in charge of the Karbala International Airport said that one of their facilities had also been hit, and that a civilian working there had been killed. “The airport is purely civilian,” they said in a statement, calling local media to the scene to back up their assertion.

McKenzie, in response to a question, acknowledged that one of the strike sites was at a civilian airport. The facility has been under construction since 2017. Iraqi state television channels showed a dilapidated building with widows blown out. Peeling off above the door was blue lettering that read ‘Karbala International Airport’ and ‘Site Offices’.

The strikes risk intensifying already simmering tensions between the U.S.-led coalition and an array of political and armed forces who want western soldiers to leave Iraq. Kataib Hezbollah has threatened Iraqis working with the U.S.-led coalition, and told them to distance themselves before March 15, or face attack.

Iran backs a handful of powerful militias in Iraq, including Kataib Hezbollah, and representatives of each group hold positions within the state apparatus.

The militias often help to enforce Tehran’s interests, attacking a protest movement that is critical of it, or the U.S. forces that Iran wants to expel. But experts say that Iran’s overall control of these militias remains unclear. At the local level, for example, they also pursue their own strategic goals.

In the briefing Friday, McKenzie insisted that the Karbala airport site had been used to store weapons.

Tensions have ebbed since their peak in January, as has much of the immediate pressure for coalition troops to leave Iraq. But the potential for another round of escalation has never been far away. U.S. and European officials say that Iran-backed militias have continued to launch rocket attacks on Iraqi military bases hosting coalition troops, or on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

On Friday morning, the Pentagon also released the identities of the U.S. troops killed in the rocket attack on Camp Taji on Wednesday.

They were Army Spec. Juan Miguel Mendez Covarrubias, 27, of Hanford, Calif., and Air Force Staff Sgt. Marshal D. Roberts, 28, of Owasso, Okla. Covarrubias was a member of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Air Cavalry Brigade at Fort Hood, Tex., while Roberts was a member of the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 219th Engineering Installation Squadron.

McKenzie said that the Iraqi government knew that the United States was planning strikes — something that was telegraphed publicly in Washington on Thursday in remarks from Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Lamothe reported from Washington; Salim reported from Baghdad.

U.S. and coalition troops killed in rocket attack in Iraq, potentially spiking tensions with Iran

Marine from Maryland dies battling Islamic State militants

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Wife Of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tests Positive For Coronavirus - NPR

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, at the Victoria Airport in 2016. Grégoire Trudeau has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the prime minister's office said Thursday. Chris Jackson/Getty Images hide caption

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Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the latest in a string of high-profile individuals to become infected with the potentially deadly pathogen.

In a statement on Thursday, the office of the prime minister said Grégoire Trudeau had begun experiencing a low-grade fever and other mild flu-like symptoms the previous day and was subsequently tested.

"The test came back positive," it said.

"She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild," the statement said, adding that the prime minister himself "is in good health with no symptoms."

Grégoire Trudeau will self-isolate for 14 days, along with the prime minister and the couple's three children, "[as] a precautionary measure," according to the statement.

It said that the isolation would not interfere with the prime minister's duties as head of government and that "on the advice of doctors, he will not be tested at this stage since he has no symptoms."

In her own statement, Grégoire Trudeau, 44, thanked well-wishers, saying that although she is "experiencing uncomfortable symptoms," she would be "back on my feet soon."

"Being in quarantine at home is nothing compared to other Canadian families who might be going through this and for those facing more serious health concerns," she said.

In a gesture of support for Grégoire Trudeau, the leader of Canada's opposition conservatives, Andrew Scheer, tweeted that he and his wife "wish her a speedy recovery."

"We're thinking of her and her family at this difficult time," Scheer wrote.

Very sorry to hear that Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Jill and I wish her a speedy recovery. We’re thinking of her and her family at this difficult time.
— Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) March 13, 2020

On Thursday, the prime minister spoke by telephone with President Trump and the two leaders discussed efforts to respond to the pandemic, with nearly 135,000 known cases globally and nearly 5,000 deaths from the virus.

In a readout of the call, the prime minister's office said: "The two leaders discussed the steps they are taking to protect the health and safety of their citizens and to promote economic resilience in response to the COVID-19 virus."

"The Prime Minister and the President welcomed the close coordination between Canada and the United States in managing this challenge, including as it relates to the Canada-U.S. border, and looked forward to staying in touch," according to the readout.

Trudeau on Thursday also spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, which has seen a surge in cases in recent days that have severely strained the country's health care system. In the World Health Organization's latest situation report on the pandemic, Italy was reporting nearly 12,500 cases with more than 800 deaths across the country from COVID-19.

Grégoire Trudeau joins a growing list of prominent government officials and celebrities who have become infected by the virus, which attacks the lungs and has proved highly contagious even though it causes mild or no symptoms in most people. However, older individuals and those with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable.

The Brazilian government said Thursday that Fábio Wajngarten, the communications director for President Jair Bolsonaro, had tested positive for the virus.

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“Make Brazil Great Again” @realdonaldtrump @mikepence @alvarogarnero 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

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Wajngarten was part of a delegation that traveled to the U.S. last weekend and met Trump and Vice President Pence at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. He was photographed to the right of Trump, along with Pence and Brazilian TV presenter Álvaro Garnero.

A statement from White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said that the president and vice president "had almost no interactions with the individual who tested positive and do not require being tested at this time."

In Australia, Home Minister Peter Dutton said in a statement that he "woke up with a temperature and sore throat" Friday morning, was tested, and came back with a positive result. He said he had been admitted to the hospital in accordance with directives from health officials.

"I feel fine and will provide an update in due course," Dutton said. The government in Canberra advised anyone who had come in contact with Dutton in the 24 hours previous to self-isolate.

A day earlier, actors Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, announced that they had tested positive for the virus while in Australia, where Hanks was preparing for shooting to begin on a new Elvis Presley biopic.

NBA basketball players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have also tested positive for the virus, contributing to the league's stunning decision this week to suspend the season, a move mirrored by college basketball's NCAA.

Thanks for so many good wishes. It’s been pretty rubbish but I hope I’m over the worst of it now. More worried about my 84yo mum who is staying with me and began with the cough today. She is being tested tomorrow. Keep safe and keep washing those hands, everyone.
— Nadine Dorries 🇬🇧 (@NadineDorries) March 10, 2020

And earlier this week, the United Kingdom's health minister, Nadine Dorries, reported that she, too, had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

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2020-03-13 14:50:47Z
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U.S. counters Iraq’s condemnation of U.S. airstrikes on Iran-backed militia facilities - The Washington Post

LONDON — Iraq condemned a wave of U.S. airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias early Friday, saying that they had killed soldiers and a civilian and could spark further escalation.

The U.S. military said that it had launched “defensive precision strikes” against targets linked to the Kataib Hezbollah group, in retaliation for a salvo of rocket attacks that killed one British and two American servicemen Wednesday on an Iraqi military base north of Baghdad.

“The United States will not tolerate attacks against our people, our interests, or our allies,” Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper said in a statement. “As we have demonstrated in recent months, we will take any action necessary to protect our forces in Iraq and the region.”

But the U.S. strikes were met with a flurry of Iraqi condemnation, in a manner reminiscent of the widespread censure that followed an earlier round of brinkmanship between the United States and Iran and piled pressure on thousands of U.S.-led coalition forces to leave Iraq.

The Iraqi military described Friday’s attacks as “treacherous,” saying they had killed three regular soldiers, as well as two policemen whose bodies had yet to be recovered from the rubble. Iraq’s president, Barham Salih, described the strikes as a “violation of national sovereignty.”

The Pentagon statement described the five locations it had bombed as “weapons storage facilities” that housed weapons used to target U.S. and coalition troops.

Tensions have ebbed since their peak in January, as has much of the immediate pressure for coalition troops to leave Iraq. But the potential for another round of escalation has never been far away. U.S. and European officials say that Iran-backed militias have continued to launch rocket attacks on Iraqi military bases hosting coalition troops, or on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Salim reported from Baghdad.

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Iraq condemns U.S. strikes on Iran-backed militias, say they killed soldiers and a civilian - The Washington Post

LONDON — Iraq condemned a wave of U.S. airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias early Friday, saying that they had killed soldiers and a civilian and could spark further escalation.

The Pentagon statement described the five locations it had bombed as “weapons storage facilities” that housed weapons used to target U.S. and coalition troops.

Tensions have ebbed since their peak in January, as has much of the immediate pressure for coalition troops to leave Iraq. But the potential for another round of escalation has never been far away. U.S. and European officials say that Iran-backed militias have continued to launch rocket attacks on Iraqi military bases hosting coalition troops, or on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Salim reported from Baghdad.

U.S. and coalition troops killed in rocket attack in Iraq, potentially spiking tensions with Iran

Marine from Maryland dies battling Islamic State militants

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

Let's block ads! (Why?)