Analyst: Panetta is part of US 'machinery that encourages never-ending wars’

Former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is "part of the machinery that encourages never-ending wars,” according to an American political analyst.

Panetta has said the Taliban that took over Afghanistan last month have not changed since they last ruled the country some twenty years ago, adding that the United States should be prepared for future attacks from Afghanistan ruled by the Taliban.

The US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 and removed the Taliban from power following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, although no Afghan national was involved in the 9/11 attacks.

American forces occupied the country for about two decades on the pretext of fighting against the Taliban and fighting against terrorism. But as the US forces left Afghanistan, the Taliban stormed into Kabul, weakened by continued foreign occupation.

In an interview to be aired on Sunday, Panetta said he believes the Taliban, who are poised to run Afghanistan and have announced to form a government, would “continue to provide a safe haven for terrorists.”

Commenting to Press TV, Myles Hoenig said, “It is not surprising that Leon Panetta, former US secretary of defense and director of the CIA, is warning us that today’s Taliban are the same as 20 years ago and we should expect mayhem on our streets as a result. After all, he is a strong advocate for a war economy and is part of the machinery that encourages never-ending wars.”

“There are three things that can come out of humiliation: reflection, defiance, or denial. Reflection is not an American character. When has the US ever stopped to think, ‘What have WE done to cause this?’ It is always, ‘Why have they done this to us?’” he explained.

“If Panetta and his war parties (both Democrats and Republicans) reflected on the last 20 years of mayhem on their streets, perhaps they would think otherwise, rather than repeat the murderous process again and again. Maybe they would have second thoughts about spending another trillion dollars on the next war that will only benefit the type of corporate boards that are longtime supporters of the Democratic Party. Or maybe even seeing that more than 50% of our federal tax dollars could go to improving our lives rather than maintaining an empire,” the analyst pointed out.

“Defiance and denial go hand-in-hand. In the case of Afghanistan, we don’t deny we lost but first, look for excuses and then immediately go on the offensive, saying that because we lost, we are going to be victimized so we better gear up for another 20 years or so. What Panetta and his ilk will acknowledge that the Afghan army quickly folded but will deny that all our resources were wasted,” he said.

“It’s America’s character to be defiant. It’s them against us. We are exceptional. They hate us for our freedom. The wars against the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, etc. have taken us away from the Vietnam Syndrome, the American aversion to foreign intervention. We’re back in the saddle! With the fall of Kabul being erroneously compared to the fall of Saigon, it is up to the Panettas of DC to minimize any rational understanding of what has transpired for the last two decades and prepare us, with of course all the mainstream media in tow, for the next wars,” Hoenig concluded.

Mass-casualty terrorist attacks are used by US for continuing occupations: Journalist

American journalist Alex Rubinstein has said that mass-casualty terrorist attacks like the Kabul airport bombing are used by the United States for continuing occupations of foreign countries.

In his interview, Panetta insisted that “it would be wise for the United States and the rest of the world not to trust the Taliban in terms of their work.”

He said that the United States should be prepared for future attacks. He said, “There was a recent interview by one of the spokesmen for the Taliban, where he was asked about bin Laden's role in 9/11, and he had the gall to say that he has not seen any evidence that bin Laden was involved in the 9/11 attack.”

“And if that is the case, then it's clear to me that they're going to continue to support Al-Qaeda, and allow Al-Qaeda to basically continue to develop and expand. And I think they will plan additional attacks on our country, as well as elsewhere,” he continued.

9/11 was a series of strikes that killed nearly 3,000 people and caused about $10 billion worth of property and infrastructure damage in the United States.

US officials assert that the attacks were carried out by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists but many experts and independent researchers have raised questions about the official account.

They believe that rogue elements within the US government, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney, orchestrated or at least encouraged the 9/11 attacks in order to accelerate the US war machine and advance the Zionist agenda.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir