The Trump administration claim that one of the tankers was hit by a mine was proven false by the ship’s Japanese operator.
One of the tankers that were attacked in the Gulf of Oman was struck by a flying object, the ship’s Japanese operator said on Friday, expressing doubt that a mine had been attached to its hull.
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American officials released video on Thursday that they said showed an Iranian boat crew, hours after the attack, removing a limpet mine attached to the hull of the damaged Kokuka Courageous, a tanker operated by the Japanese company Kokuka Sangyo.
But Yutaka Katada, the company’s president, citing accounts from the ship’s crew, said Friday: “I do not think there was a time bomb or an object attached to the side of the ship.â€
The Japanese company said that their ship wasn’t attacked by a mine or a torpedo, which suggest that the Trump administration might be taking a page from the run up to the Iraq war by exaggerating or fabricating evidence.
The account that the Japanese company is offering doesn’t match the story from Sec. of State Mike Pompeo:
Pompeo says Iran is responsible for oil tanker attacks. pic.twitter.com/FPvB56L9np
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) June 13, 2019
US allies have warned that the aggression is coming from the Trump administration, not Iran.
War with Iran has long been one of John Bolton’s goals, and if Donald Trump continues to look like a bad bet for reelection, his administration may try to win a second term by starting a war with Iran.
The Trump cover story is cracking, as the American people aren’t going to get fooled into another war in the Middle East.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
