Trump will give Israel a ‘blank check’ that could mean all-out war with Iran, says former CIA chief | US elections 2024

Donald Trump will write a “blank check” in the Middle East as President Benjamin Netanyahu, potentially paving the way for an all-out war between Israel and Iran, former CIA director and US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta predicted.

“As far as the Middle East is concerned, I think he will essentially give Netanyahu a blank check,” Panetta said of Trump, who won the presidential election this week and will take office again in January.

“‘Whatever you do, whatever you want to do, whoever you want to pursue, you have my blessing.’ I mean, that’s basically what he said [before the election].”

The Israeli prime minister has overseen attacks on Iran and its assets as part of a growing conflagration since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 last year. He and the US President-elect reportedly spoke during the US election campaign. Netanyahu congratulated Trump on Wednesday after Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris was confirmed.

Panetta continued: “So the real question is whether Netanyahu decides to continue to try to expand this war, to act against Iran, or to do things that basically raise even greater concerns about whether the Middle East will ever resolve itself.” will or will not.” or be in constant conflict.”

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On the “One Decision” podcast, which he co-hosts with Sir Richard Dearlove, a former head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency, Panetta also said he expected Trump to support allowing Russia to retain control of areas in Ukraine been held since the second invasion of Ukraine years ago.

Most observers consider Trump’s election to be bad news for Ukraine, which the Biden administration has supported with military aid. Many analysts expect Trump to be less constrained by advisers than in his first four years in office and free to do whatever he wants while remaining in thrall to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president he has long admired.

But Panetta said he doubted Trump would be given a free hand.

“This will require some negotiations,” Panetta said of Russia-Ukraine. “And I wouldn’t trust Mr. Trump to do that because, as you know, he sat with him [the North Korean dictator] Kim Jong-un had three meetings and failed to negotiate a deal.

“And so what I would do is… pick someone with experience, a secretary of state, a secretary of defense, and put them in charge of really working out a fair deal for Ukraine and allowing Russia to agree to it,” as well.

“I think that would be the right way. But that will take some time. It will take a lot of negotiations. It will take a lot of negotiation. But that’s the problem. I think if I were Trump, I would focus on how to resolve the Ukraine war.”

Now 85, Panetta has a wealth of experience: she was a congressman from California (1977-1993), White House budget chief and chief of staff to Bill Clinton (1993-97), as well as CIA director (2009-11) and secretary of defense (2011-13). ) under Barack Obama.

With an eye on Trump’s return, Panetta painted a challenging foreign policy picture.

“As I have mentioned many times in the past, we live in a very dangerous world. There are a number of flashpoints…whether it’s Russia and Ukraine, whether it’s China and Taiwan, whether it’s the Middle East, whether it’s Iran, whether it’s North Korea, whether it’s terrorism.”

Panetta also had a jab just for Trump.

“Trump basically said during the campaign, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ “Basically, I can make a deal and with any of these issues, everything will be okay.”

“Well, he could do that by simply capitulating to tyrants, opponents and autocrats and letting them have their way. But I’m not sure even his own party, the Republicans, will be willing to let him just let the bullies do whatever the hell they want.”

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