U.S. Judge Demands Inquiry Into Trump's Claim of Iran-Cole Attack Link
A U.S. judge has ordered a search for records related to President Trump's claim that Iran was behind the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 sailors. The case has long been tied to Al Qaeda, but the judge wants to examine any evidence of an Iran connection.
Washington, D.C. - In a surprising move, a U.S. federal judge has ordered the government to search for and produce any records related to President Trump's recent assertion that Iran was behind the deadly 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. The attack, which killed 17 U.S. sailors, has long been attributed to the terrorist group Al Qaeda, but the judge wants to examine any evidence of an Iranian connection.
The order comes after Trump made the claim during a press conference earlier this month, stating that Iran was "substantially involved" in the Cole bombing. Family members of the victims have sued Iran in federal court over the attack and won default judgments, but defense lawyers say they have seen no credible evidence linking Iran to the incident.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates said the government must search for and produce "any and all records" related to Trump's claim, including intelligence assessments, internal communications, and other relevant materials. The judge said he wanted to determine whether there was any factual basis for the president's assertion.
{{IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER}}Source: The New York Times
