Nation
CNN analyst, fmr. FBI agent: ‘We have a biological terrorist in the White House’
Asha Rangappa, an analyst for CNN and a former special agent for the FBI, tweeted a thread on Tuesday in which she said, “We have a biological terrorist in the White House.” This follows President Donald Trump returning to the White House on Monday evening after treatment for the Coronavirus at a military hospital and the news that more senior White House and military officials testing positive for the virus.
In defending her claim, Rangappa cited a Justice Department memo stating back in March that the novel Coronavirus “appears to meet the statutory definition of a biological agent” and that those who engage in the “purposeful exposure and infections of others” could be charged for terrorism-related offenses.
While there are some allegations that he knew about his positive diagnosis significantly earlier than he had announced it on Thursday evening, there is no certifiable evidence that he knowingly exposed officials and staffers to the virus.
For her tweet, Rangappa has received heavy criticism on Twitter.
Mr. and Mrs. Trump both tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday evening, alongside many political figures and staffers. The exact event where the President caught the virus remains uncertain.
However, the theory gaining the most traction supposes that the infection occurred at the Rose Garden ceremony where he announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee on Saturday, September 26. Since many of those who were also infected attended the event, many place this as the “superspreader” event.
Since the end of last week, more and more White House officials have tested positive for COVID-19. On Monday, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced her positive diagnosis following a weekend where she engaged with numerous reporters. On Tuesday, most of the nation’s top military leaders said that, after reports of multiple infections, they would enter quarantine.
Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which holds hearings on Supreme Court appointees, have also tested positive for the virus, alongside Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel.
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.
Middle East
US responds to Iranian drone strike that killed US contractor with “precision airstrikes”
The U.S. military launched multiple precision airstrikes in Syria, leaving at least 8 Iranians dead in response to the Iranian drone strike which left a US contractor dead and five service members injured, according to numerous reports.
The DOD said that a UAV belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps crashed into a building in northeast Syria at 1:38 p.m. According to a Fox News report, the “U.S. airstrike at an arms depot in Harabesh, in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour left six Iranian-backed fighters dead. A second U.S. bombing at a post near the town of Mayadeen killed another two fighters, according to the Observatory, whose reporting relies on local Syrian contacts.”
U.S. intelligence officials stated that they were able to trace the UAV back to Iran. After President Biden received the details of the strike he gave the authorization to conduct a counter attack.
Moreover, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said, “at the direction of the President, I authorized U.S. Central Command forces to conduct precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC),” he said.
“The airstrikes were conducted in response to today’s attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC,” he added.
General Michael Kurilla, Commander of CENTCOM (United States Central Command), also stated that the airstrikes were in response to the attack on an American contractor and wounded troops.
“This evening, we responded to an attack on our forces that killed an American contractor and wounded our troops and another American contractor by striking facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Krill said. “This was another in a series of attacks on our troops and partner forces.”
He shared his condolences with the families by stating that “thoughts and prayers of US Central Command are with the Family of our contractor killed and with our wounded service members and contractor.”
You can follow Alexander Carter on Twitter @AlexCarterDC
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