No support requested for New Orleans, Las Vegas incidents: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (AA) – The Pentagon said Friday that no support was requested in connection with attacks on New Year’s Day, which were carried out by active military personnel and a veteran.

“To date, no DoD (Department of Defense) support has been requested in response to either incident in either New Orleans or Las Vegas,” deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

At least 14 people were killed and dozens injured in New Orleans when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran, drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street.

Separately, Matthew Livelsberger, an active duty member of the Army Special Forces, shot himself in the head in a Tesla Cybertruck packed with firework mortars, shortly before it exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

“These are tragic events that happened in Las Vegas and New Orleans,” said Singh.

Asked about the mental health of the suspects, Singh said the vast majority of army personnel perform their duties with honor, and the Pentagon encourages service members who need psychological treatment to seek help.

– ‘No plans to build US base in Kobani’ –

Singh rejected media reports that said US forces are reportedly building a base in the northern Syrian city of Ayn al-Arab.

“I’ve seen some of the reports and have gotten questions about that. There are no plans to build a US base in Kobani. So, I’m not sure where that’s coming from,” she said.

The US continues to focus its mission in Syria to ensure the defeat of the ISIS, said Singh.

“But when it comes to US forces in Kobani, there’s no plan or intent right now to set up any base. I’m not sure where those reports are coming from,” she said.

The US supports Syria’s territorial integrity, and focuses on promoting an inclusive Syrian-led political process, said Singh.