Ramzan is ‘very special’, says Trump; condemns New Zealand, Sri Lanka terror attacks
Washington:Ramzan is a "very special" month during which people seek tolerance and peace, US President Donald Trump has said as he hosted an iftar party at the White House and expressed grief over the gruesome terrorist attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Ramzan is a holy month for Muslims here in the US and all across the world, Trump said as he hosted his second Iftaar as President for eminent Muslim members from his administration and top diplomats from various countries on Monday night.
"Ramadan is a time of charity, of giving, and service to our fellow citizens. Ramadan is a very special time. It's a time to draw closer as families, neighbours and communities," Trump said.
"Ramadan is a time when people join forces in pursuit of hope, tolerance and peace. It is in this spirit that we come together tonight for Iftar, the traditional Ramadan meal that breaks the daily fast," he said in his brief address in the State Dinning Room of the White House.
"This evening, our thoughts are also with the religious believers who have endured many trials and hardships in recent weeks. It's been a very rough period of time. Our hearts are filled with grief for the Muslims who were killed in their mosques in New Zealand, as well as the Christians, Jews and other children of god who were slain in Sri Lanka, California and Pittsburgh," Trump said.
Fifty people were killed and several others injured when a white supremacist attacked two mosques in Christchurch in New Zealand on March 15.
In Sri Lanka's worst terror attack on Easter Sunday targeting churches and luxury hotels, 258 people were killed and over 500 others injured.
He resolved to defeat the "evils of terrorism" and religious persecution so that all people can worship without fear, pray without danger and live by the faith that flows from their heart.
"We thank god that America is a place founded on the belief that citizens of all faiths can live together in safety and live together in freedom," he said.
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US soldiers were killed in Iranian drone strike on operations centre at Kuwait civilian port
Washington (AP): An operations centre targeted by an Iranian drone strike that killed six American soldiers on Sunday was located in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, miles away from the main Army base, according to satellite images and a US official.
The husband of one of the slain soldiers, who was part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the hub was a shipping container-style building and had no defences.
The development, reported earlier by CNN and CBS News, raises questions about the safety precautions that the US military had in place as it, along with Israel, launched an attack on Iran, which has responded with retaliatory strikes against several countries in the region, including Kuwait.
President Donald Trump and top defence leaders say more American casualties are likely.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the six soldiers were killed in a “tactical operations centre” when a projectile made its way past air defences. A day later, the Pentagon confirmed it was a drone strike in Port Shuaiba when announcing the names of four of the soldiers who were slain.
A satellite image taken Monday and reviewed by the AP showed the main building in the complex destroyed, with a trail of black smoke rising from it. It is located in the heart of Port Shuaiba, a working seaport and industrial area just south of Kuwait City. The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter under active investigation, confirmed the image depicted the location of Sunday's attack.
The Army base, Camp Arifjan, is more than 10 miles to the south. The operations centre was just a little over a mile from some of the piers where merchant ships would offload cargo containers and was surrounded by oil storage tanks, refineries and a power plant.
Joey Amor, husband of Sgt 1st Class Nicole Amor, said his wife was moved off-base to what he described as a shipping container-style building a week before the Iranian strike. The 39-year-old from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was one of the soldiers killed in the attack.
“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked, and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separated places,” he said.
After news reports about the operations centre emerged, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on social media that the “secure facility was fortified with 6-foot walls.” He said the military has “the most extensive Air Defence umbrella in the world over the Middle East right now and control of the skies is increasing with every wave of airpower.”
Parnell's office did not respond to questions about what role the walls would have played in defending against a drone attack or what air defences were present in range of the command centre at the port.
Capt Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said “it would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation.”
