CIA chief Leon Panetta: The next Pearl Harbor could be a cyberattack
| Washington
The next great battle America faces is likely to involve cyberwarfare, Leon Panetta, the Central Intelligence Agency director, warned senators Thursday, predicting that 鈥渢he next Pearl Harbor that we confront could very well be a cyberattack that cripples" America鈥檚 electrical grid and its security and financial systems.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take both defensive measures as well as aggressive measures to deal with that,鈥� said Mr. Panetta, who was appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in a confirmation hearing for the post of secretary of defense.
Panetta, a consummate Washington insider, is expected to be confirmed easily as the successor to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, but that did not stop him from receiving a tough 鈥� if cordial 鈥� grilling from lawmakers Thursday.
His former colleagues 鈥� Panetta served in Congress from 1977 to 1993 鈥� pressed him for specifics on US troop withdrawals in Afghanistan. These were specifics Panetta politely declined to provide, saying that any decision on precise troop levels was up to President Obama, though he did allow that he backs Mr. Obama鈥檚 plan for a 鈥渟ignificant鈥� drawdown starting next month.
In the wide-ranging confirmation hearing, Panetta also warned the Armed Services Committee of the ongoing dangers posed by a sizable contingent of Al Qaeda in Iraq, of the risks of indiscriminate Pentagon budget cuts, and of the consequences of a failure to oust Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
鈥淭his is a time of historic change,鈥� Panetta said. 鈥淲e are no longer in the Cold War. This is the Blizzard War 鈥� a blizzard of challenges that draws on speed and intensity from rapidly developing technologies and the rising number of powers on the world stage.鈥�
In the short term, America continues to face a tough war in Afghanistan. Panetta, who along with Mr. Gates was a member of the Iraq Study Group, says he believes the Afghan government could benefit from the same sorts of benchmarks that were instituted in Iraq. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 something that would be worth pursuing.鈥�
Panetta 鈥� who as CIA director has stepped up the number of US drone strikes on insurgents in Pakistan 鈥� said relations with Pakistan remain 鈥渙ne of the most critical 鈥� and yet one of the most complicated and frustrating 鈥� relationships that we have.鈥� He added, 鈥淭hey are a nuclear power and there is a danger those nuclear weapons could end up in the wrong hands.鈥�
In Iraq, Panetta told lawmakers he believes it would be wise to support the request of Iraqi leaders for US troops to stay beyond their scheduled December pullout date, if they ask. 鈥淚 have to tell you, there are a thousand Al Qaeda that are still in Iraq,鈥� Panetta said. 鈥淚t continues to be a fragile situation, and I believe that we should take whatever steps are necessary to make sure that we protect whatever progress is made there.鈥�
He warned that while there is 鈥渘o question鈥� that Osama bin Laden鈥檚 death has damaged Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization continues to expand 鈥渘odes鈥� of operation in Somalia, Yemen, and North Africa. 鈥淭hose are areas that we have to continue to focus on,鈥� Panetta said.
The ultimate outcome of the ongoing conflict with Libya, too, has important implications for the United States. 鈥淚f Qaddafi stays, what does that mean for our national security interest, after we said he must go?鈥� Senator Lindsey Graham ( R) of South Carolina, asked Panetta. 鈥淒o you think it kills the Arab Spring?鈥�
鈥淚 think it sends a terrible signal to the other countries,鈥� Panetta responded. 鈥淚 think it tells them our word isn鈥檛 worth very much if we鈥檙e not willing to stick with it.鈥�
鈥淐ouldn鈥檛 agree with you more,鈥� said Mr. Graham. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to vote for you.鈥�
