Former CENTCOM commander: US ‘certainly vulnerable' to attacks in Iraq, Syria
Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, the former commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said on Sunday that he thinks U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria are 'certainly vulnerable' to retaliatory attacks by Iran.
In an interview on CBS News's 'Face the Nation,' McKenzie said he's not surprised that Iran has not yet retaliated following U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites, noting, 'I think Iranian decision making is a little crippled right now because of the loss of senior leaders' at the hands of the Israelis.
But he said he's confident the U.S. military has taken steps to prepare for any future attacks.
'To your question about where they might strike, I think we're certainly vulnerable in Iraq. I think we're certainly vulnerable in Syria,' adding, 'And I'm certain that Central Command has done all the things we need to do to harden ourselves against those potential attacks.
'The same for our other bases across the region,' McKenzie said. 'I don't know that it would be localized to the region though.'
McKenzie speculated about the possibility of a strike on U.S. soil but noted efforts to achieve such a goal in the past have not been very successful.
'Iran has long harbored the desire to attack us in the United States. They typically have not been effective when they've done that. We've caught them in a couple of plots that are very public, that you're well aware of,' McKenzie said.
'So I think all those things are on the table, but it may take the Iranians a little while to work through this process, because nobody's excited about going to a meeting in Iran right now,' he said.
The interview comes as U.S. leaders are warning Iran from taking retaliatory actions against the U.S. and of far-reaching consequences if Iran does not take steps to make peace.
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