US kills top Iranian general in Baghdad

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He has one?

He has one?

Ouch

Yep,
Soft and furry.

Opossums on the half shell

Here,
Have an armadillo to make you feel better.
Tomato or BBQ sauce?

Lol you would need a good dentist after such a delicacy

The Pentagon says that 34 service members have been diagnosed with concussion-like or traumatic brain injury (TBI) symptoms since the Jan. 8 Iranian ballistic missile strike on Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.

Jonathan Hoffman, Pentagon chief spokesman, said that eight troops who were initially sent to Germany arrived Friday in the U.S. to continue treatment; nine others are still undergoing treatment in Germany; one was sent to Kuwait for treatment and has since returned to duty in Iraq; and 16 who were diagnosed in Iraq have now returned to duty.

In total, 17 of the 34 have returned to duty. There is a "distinct possibility" that the nine still in Germany may head to the U.S. for further treatment, he said.

The numbers have shifted as more people have been diagnosed. [But] this is a snapshot in time of where we are right now," he said.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has given instructions that "anyone who comes in with symptoms, receives any and all care that they need," Hoffman said. "We need to track that closely."

Whether the troops could receive the Purple Heart for injuries as a result of enemy action is under review. Hoffman said it's up to the individual military branches to make those decisions.

According to a Department of Veterans Affairs study, a traumatic brain injury can go undiagnosed in its milder forms and result in issues for returning service members ranging from "headaches, irritability, and sleep disorders to memory problems, slower thinking, and depression."

Numerous reports and studies by the DoD and the VA have pointed to links between blast exposure and TBI and post-traumatic stress.

According to the DoD and the Defense and Veteran's Brain Injury Center, about 22% of all combat casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan involve brain injuries, compared with 12% of combat casualties in Vietnam.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, President Donald Trump on Wednesday downplayed the injuries as "headaches."

Three rockets struck the US Embassy compound in Baghdad on Sunday, leaving one person injured, a US official told CNN initial reports indicate.

The official said the injury was minor and the individual had since returned to duty.
A State Department spokesperson said Sunday evening that they "are aware of reports of rockets landing in the International Zone," but did not address the US embassy itself. The State Department did not respond to a query as to whether any embassy employees were injured.

"We call on the Government of Iraq to fulfill its obligations to protect our diplomatic facilities," the spokesperson said.
The State Department did not directly blame Tehran for the rocket strikes in the Iraqi capital, but the spokesperson's statement made reference to Iranian threats in the region and past attacks by Iranian-backed militias on US interests. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

"The security situation remains tense and Iranian-backed armed groups remain a threat. So, we remain vigilant," the spokesperson said. Since September there have been more than 14 attacks by Iran and Iranian-supported militias on US personnel in Iraq, according to the State Department.

The spokesperson said the State Department would not comment further on the security situation in Baghdad.
Rep. Michael McCaul, the lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs committee, said in a tweet Sunday that he is "closely monitoring reports of a rocket attack targeting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad."
"Violent acts against our diplomatic facilities are simply unacceptable. We must ensure the safety of American diplomats, troops and other Americans in Iraq."

Adil Abdul Mahdi, the prime minister of Iraq, condemned the attack and said Iraqi forces have been ordered to "deploy, search, and investigate to prevent the recurrence of such attacks, and to arrest those who launched these rockets so that they can be punished."

The Prime Minister said the Iraqi government is "committed to protecting all diplomatic missions and taking all necessary measures.