Former US Counterterrorism Chief Joe Kent Accuses Israel of Pushing for War Against Iran and Warns "China Will Benefit"

During a conversation with Carlson, Kent said, "China will benefit from the United States being involved in a war against Iran."

Joe Kent, the former National Counterterrorism Center director who recently resigned over his opposition to the war against Iran, appeared on Tucker Carlson's independent channel. Here is an excerpt of this intelligence official's "confession."

First, Accusation Against Israel: Pressuring the US to Go to War

"Israel actually pressured the US into launching attacks against Iran. We are very clear that this will trigger a chain reaction: Iran will inevitably retaliate, and the conflict will become inevitable."

"The decision to launch a war against Iran did not come from an imminent threat from Tehran, but was instead driven by Israel and its powerful lobbying group in Washington."

"The Israelis are so confident that they dare to start a war, convinced that the US will eventually have to clean up the mess for them."

Second, Denial of Imminent Threats

"Iran does not pose any imminent threat to us—whether before the summer strikes on its nuclear facilities or three weeks before the outbreak of the current war."

"We had no intelligence indicating that on a certain day in March, the Iranians were planning a large-scale attack similar to '9/11' or 'Pearl Harbor.'"

"We found no signs indicating that Iran was on the verge of producing a nuclear bomb."

Third, Iran, Nuclear Weapons, and Tehran's Strategy

"No, Iran is not 'about to have a nuclear bomb'—whether three weeks before the war broke out or when we struck its nuclear facilities last June."

"Since 2004, the Iranian leadership has been following a fatwa (religious decree) that explicitly prohibits the development of nuclear weapons. And we have no intelligence indicating anyone has violated this fatwa."

"Iran's strategy is actually quite pragmatic: They understand that an open nuclear arms race would immediately make them a legitimate target for a preemptive strike."

Fourth, Internal Chaos in Washington

"A large number of key personnel could not get their assessments to the president—the entire decision-making process lacked sufficient discussion."

"The president relies only on a narrow circle of advisors. Those who tried to oppose the war against Iran were effectively excluded from the decision-making process."

Fifth, Kent's Personal Position

"A war against Iran will quickly turn into a bloody quagmire, uniting the Iranian people around the regime and activating its proxy forces throughout the region."

"This conflict will overextend America's military forces, and strategically, China will benefit from this—by taking advantage of our resource overload and using its own economic leverage, China will reap the benefits."

Commentary

Kent's core warning is "China will benefit." This is a choice made by the United States, as if China were forcing the US. The US military is dragged into the quagmire of the Middle East, consuming ammunition, equipment, and budget. A distracted US means a reduced strategic deterrence in the Asia-Pacific. The US may be forced to consume resources in the Middle East for a long time, while China can achieve a strategic breakthrough at low cost and high gain.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1860093681631436/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.