Retired US General David Petraeus, who led America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said last week’s Hamas attack on Israel was “much worse than 9/11.”
Petraeus, who also served as CIA director, said Sunday’s Palestinian terror attack that killed more than 1,300 Israelis was proportionally greater than the terrorist attack in the US that claimed thousands of lives on September 11, 2001.
“This is the equivalent of the US suffering over 40,000 losses, instead of the 3,000 catastrophic losses we had in the 9/11 attacks,” Petraeus told CBS News, comparing the populations of the two countries.
The military expert also warned Israel to think carefully about its next move as it plans to attack Gaza, again invoking 9/11 and the subsequent US “war on terror” that has plagued America for decades.
“There should be a cautionary tale from our experience after the 9/11 attacks,” Petraeus said. “Some of the actions we took, we see differently now. And there will come a time where some of the actions Israel will take will be viewed differently as well.
Retired US General David Petraeus said the Hamas attack on Israel surpassed the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America in terms of deaths. CBS Hamas attacks on Israel left more than 1,300 people dead last week. Reuters
“I actually think that there is an awareness of this in Jerusalem,” he added.
Petraeus said Israel has a “very, very difficult fight” ahead of Hamas, claiming the terrorist organization clearly has a far more sophisticated intelligence network than the Jewish state and America have ever believed.
“This is an enormous operation, and the planning alone will be enormous; then, training and equipment and team positioning, then actual conduct,” Petraeus said. “That all of that could happen and not trigger an increase in military readiness is pretty amazing.”
The 9/11 terrorist attacks, including at the Twin Towers in Manhattan, killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000. AFP/Getty Images Devastation caused by rocket fire has hit the city of Sderot in Israel. ZUMAPRESS.com
The former intelligence commander attributed the success of Hamas’ attacks to a “dramatic improvement” in the way the group operated, coupled with its ability to evade and eliminate Israel’s own intelligence-gathering operations.
Petraeus also raised questions with Israeli officials about what would happen next if it finds its invasion of Gaza successful, given that the densely populated territory is home to more than 2 million Palestinians.
“If the mission to the Israeli army is to destroy Hamas, if you have to destroy every headquarters, if you have to capture or kill the majority of the leaders, if you have to do the same with the majority of these terrorist fighters, the question is, what do you do? with Gaza once you retake it,” Petraeus said. “You cannot leave Gaza.”
Petraeus said he was surprised that Israel and the US were unaware of last week’s devastating Hamas attack, when the terrorist group coordinated a series of rocket attacks and gunfire on communities across the Gaza border.
Petraeus warned Israel to think carefully about its strategy in Gaza, noting the controversial US actions in the Middle East after 9/11.Getty Images
Petraeus is not the first authority to draw comparisons between 9/11 and the unprecedented attack Israel suffered on Oct. 7.
A day after the destruction, Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the act of terror “our 9/11,” describing it as an even worse attack.
“We have had 250 deaths, [which is] like having 7,500 deaths here,” said Erdan about the initial estimate. “We already have 1,500 victims. It’s like 50,000 victims here in the United States.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
