Trump a dangerous, irresponsible narcissist who bombed Soleimani to distract from impeachment, Canadian CEO says
Donald Trump’s decision to assassinate Qassem Soleimani was rooted in the US president’s narcissism and designed to distract voters from his impeachment, a furious Canadian corporate leader has said.
Michael McCain, the chief executive of meatpacking firm Maple Leaf Foods, said one of his employees had lost his wife and 11-year-old son in the downing of a Ukrainian Airlines passenger jet on 8 January, following “a needless, irresponsible series of events” instigated by Mr Trump.
The airliner was brought down by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shortly after the force rained down ballistic missiles on two US bases in Iraq, in retaliation for Soleimani’s killing.
Tehran has admitted responsibility, blaming the incident on human error and American “adventurism”. Vast crowds of protesters have called for president Hassan Rouhani to resign over the deaths of 176 people in the missile strike.
In a Twitter thread on the official Maple Leaf Foods account, Mr McCain said: “I am very angry, and time isn’t making me less angry.
“U.S. government leaders unconstrained by checks/balances, concocted an ill-conceived plan to divert focus from political woes.”
He added: “The world knows Iran is a dangerous state, but the world found a path to contain it; not perfect but by most accounts it was the right direction. A narcissist in Washington tears world accomplishments apart; destabilizes region.
“The collateral damage of this irresponsible, dangerous, ill-conceived behavior? Canadians needlessly lost their lives in the crossfire, including the family of one of my MLF colleagues (his wife + 11 year old son)! We are mourning and I am livid.”
Justin Trudeau attended one of a number of memorial events held across the country on Sunday to remember the 57 Canadian victims. “We will not rest until there are answers. We will not rest until there is justice and accountability,” the prime minister told a crowd in Edmonton.
Canadian officials are flying to Iran to help investigate the airliner’s downing and bring back the remains of victims.
Meanwhile, a senior Ukrainian minister has said he discussed compensation for the families of those who died on the passenger jet shot down by the Iranian military with Mr Rouhani.
Foreign minister Vadym Prystaiko told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We had a conversation with the Iranian president when he tried to do his best at explaining that this was a human error, that no one who is to [blame] will escape punishment.
“This is great to hear but we also discussed all the political repercussions and problems, and compensation to the victims of the plane.”
Washington’s decision to kill Soleimani, alongside a top Iraqi militia leader, in Baghdad on 3 January came after months of rising tensions with Tehran. The diplomatic strain arose from Mr Trump’s withdrawal from the so-called Iran nuclear deal, or JCPOA, and re-imposition of crushing sanctions as a means of suppressing Tehran’s atomic ambitions.
The US president has accused Iran of funding terrorism throughout the Middle East and said the targeting of Soleimani was designed to curb its influence. He also suggested that the war general was planning an attack and posed an "immediate threat" to the US, but did not disclose any evidence.
Defence secretary Mark Esper also admitted that he "didn't see" any specific evidence that Iran was planning to strike the four US embassies.
Iran's drone strike has caused outrage within Iran and seen both official and unofficial retaliation against American forces stationed in Iraq, where politicians have also called for US troops to be withdrawn.
In his latest comments on the Iran crisis, Mr Trump said he “couldn’t care less” whether Tehran decided to negotiate with Washington over sanctions and its nuclear ambitions.
“National Security Adviser suggested today that sanctions & protests have Iran ‘choked off’, will force them to negotiate. Actually, I couldn’t care less if they negotiate. Will be totally up to them but, no nuclear weapons and ‘don’t kill your protesters’,” the Republican tweeted.
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Mark Esper says he 'didn't see' evidence of imminent attack from Iran
