One of Washington’s foremost analysts of military issues has some harsh words about Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s take on the insider attack problem in Afghanistan, calling it “absurd.”
During a recent trip to Japan, Panetta was asked about U.S. and other International Security Assistance Force troops being killed by members of the Afghan security forces, or insurgents dressed like them.
He said, “And we think, frankly, it is kind of a last gasp effort to be able to not only target our forces, but to try to create chaos, because they’ve been unable to regain any of the territory that they have lost.” On Thursday, Panetta reiterated his point during a briefing with reporters, saying, “It’s near the end of their effort to really fully fight back.”
“Quite frankly i think that most intelligent people and military people would privately think that Secretary Panetta’s comments are absurd, perhaps harmful. Because they just can’t be taken seriously,” said Anthony Cordesman a senior analyst at CSIS, a major Washington think tank, and a recipient of Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award for his work at the Pentagon. . .