Special to WorldTribune.com
WASHINGTON — The U.S. intelligence community has warned that Al Qaida could replace Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
A leading member of the U.S. intelligence community said Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant could dominate the Gaza Strip. Defense Intelligence Agency director Michael Flynn said the toppling of Hamas by Israel could facilitate the entry of ISIL.
“If Hamas were fully destroyed and gone, we would probably end up with something much worse,” Flynn said. “The region would end up with something much worse.”
This marked the first time that a senior member of the U.S. intelligence community justified the existence of Hamas, on the State Department list of terrorist organizations.
In an address to the Aspen Security Forum on July 26, Flynn, who provides a daily briefing to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, warned Israel against destroying the Hamas presence in the Gaza Strip.
“It would be a worse threat that could come into the ecosystem and be more dangerous, something like an [ISIL],” Flynn said.
President Barack Obama has been pressing Israel for a unilateral ceasefire in an effort to end the war with the Gaza Strip. Israel has complained that the ceasefire would leave intact Hamas’ huge arsenal of missiles and rockets as well as a network of attack tunnels.
Flynn, scheduled to leave his position in late 2014, portrayed the latest war with the Gaza Strip as a long-term conflict between Arabs and Israel. He dismissed the prospect of any solution to stabilize the Middle East.
“Is there going to be peace in the Middle East?” Flynn asked. “Not in my lifetime.”
Other security and intelligence officials warned that the war with the Gaza Strip must be balanced with the expansion of ISIL. Former FBI director Robert Mueller told the security forum that the Israel-Hamas war could bolster recruitment for ISIL, particularly in Syria.
“It may contribute to the number of individuals who feel that they want to become part of the fight, but not necessarily in Gaza,” Mueller said.
DIA head backs Hamas: Defeat could open way for ISIL; No Mideast peace ‘in my lifetime’ added by World Tribune on
View all posts by World Tribune →
You must be logged in to post a comment Login