Iran, Panetta: ‘It’s not Venezuela, and the mission lacks objectives’

Rome, 6 March (LaPresse) – ‘Iran is not Venezuela, the Kurds are not capable of invading it, and the lack of clear objectives and legal justifications weakens the US.’ This was stated in an interview with La Repubblica by Leon Panetta, former head of the Pentagon and the CIA. According to Panetta, the mission in Iran ‘has not been explained to the American people.’ “At first, the president said it was regime change; then the Secretary of Defence contradicted him, saying that the targets were missiles and the nuclear programme; then the Secretary of State said that the intervention was triggered because Israel was about to attack. Others said there was a threat of pre-emptive action by Iran, but the Pentagon denied this. The American people and the world have a right to know what we are trying to achieve,‘ he added. According to Panetta, in order to achieve regime change, ’the population needs to rise up, but that is not happening. So the likelihood that some members of the regime will remain in power is high.” As for Italy and Europe and the risk of terrorist attacks or assaults, ‘it is a danger you must consider. Iran is launching missiles throughout the Middle East and Cyprus, and I would not be surprised if it targeted you. It has the potential to do so,’ he concluded.