OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and former Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines spoke at the University of Nebraska Omaha about the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and the erosion of global trust in the United States.
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Hagel, a Nebraska native, told the audience he is worried the conflict with Iran is creating a new generation of terrorists.
"Pretty easy to get into war, but damn hard to get out the right way," he said.
Hagel's appearance came just hours after The New York Times published his editorial criticizing the war.
He was joined on stage by Haines, who told the audience she could understand the reasons for bombing Iranian nuclear sites in June.
"It seems as if the president does want to end this as soon as possible," Haines said.
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Once a military conflict starts, Hagel told the audience, there are multiple factors a leader cannot control.
"It’s a very difficult spot to be in for this country, and for the world, and I don’t think it gets any better soon," he said.
Both say the president's objective in attacking Iran is unclear to them and the secretary believes more is owed to military members.
"At least an explanation of what the hell they’re doing and why," said Hagel.
The two former officials also discussed the importance of allies and maintaining global influence.
"Once you lose that leadership in the world because you have lost the trust of the world ... rarely do you ever get that back," Hagel said.
Haines believes Americans have tough choices to make and said in her prepared remarks that the country is at an "inflection point": "The capacity for self-correction has not disappeared, even if it is being tested."
The erosion of trust in institutions — such as the judicial system, the press, and big business — led Hagel to issue a dire warning about where the country could be headed.
"And authoritarianism is the next step because authoritarianism will produce somebody who will come along and say ‘let me control it all. I can fix the problems here,’" he said.
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Hagel returns to Nebraska annually for the event, where he also spends time with high school and college students promoting the importance of leadership and civic engagement.
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