Former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta on Friday warned the U.S. is now closer to entering a conflict with Iran than it has been for decades following the President Donald Trump-authorized airstrike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. “And that is a danger that we have to pay attention to that was not dealt with with one act.”Congressional Democrats have also warned the attack may spark a war. Panetta described Soleimani as “a bad actor” whose death should not be mourned. “I think the reason was that he was a general in Iran who, along with the leadership of Iran and other generals that were involved in Iran, all were involved in planning what Iran was doing,” said Panetta. “That’s what the United States needed to focus on, was the threat from Iran, not just one particular individual.”

Source: Huffington Post January 04, 2020 08:44 UTC