US 'shares the blame' for failing to predict the Hamas attack on Israel, ex-CIA official says - after focus turned to Al-Qaeda after 9/11

The United States 'shares nan blame' for failing to foretell nan Hamas onslaught connected Israel, an ex-CIA charismatic has said, because it took its oculus disconnected nan panic group aft 9/11 and focused connected al-Qaeda instead.

Marc Polymeropoulos, a retired CIA operations serviceman pinch extended counterterrorism experience, told The Wall Street Journal the U.S. was incorrect to time off surveillance of Hamas to nan Israelis. 

'In position of intelligence failures, which really do dishonesty mostly connected Israel, I deliberation we should besides stock immoderate blasted for missing this event,' he said. 

'Ceding nan target to nan Israelis now looks to person had consequences.' 

The United States kept an oculus connected Hamas, pinch a fewer analysts astatine nan CIA tasked pinch monitoring nan group - which was elected to power Gaza successful 2006.

But nan bulk of their efforts went connected watching al-Qaeda and past Islamic State, because U.S. officials calculated that those 2 successful peculiar posed a threat to nan United States.

It should person been 'a well-placed bet,' 1 elder counterterrorism charismatic told The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. intelligence agencies person a fund of $90 billion, but moreover truthful must prioritize their targets. 

The demands successful caller years person swung towards surveillance connected China, pinch little accent connected nan Middle East, officials person said.

Jonathan Schanzer, who tracked Hamas arsenic a U.S. Treasury coercion finance analyst, said that nan attraction connected Hamas' financing reduced aft 9/11, arsenic first Barack Obama, and past Biden, sought to build spot pinch Iran.

Schanzer, who now useful astatine nan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said location needed to beryllium a reappraisal of what nan U.S. was doing to combat Iranian-backed panic groups. 

'There should beryllium one. If location isn't, it's overseas argumentation malpractice,' he said.

Intelligence experts said it was not easy to find wherever nan money and resources should beryllium allocated. 

'There's a really difficult prioritization workout that has to spell on,' a 2nd erstwhile counterterrorism charismatic said. 

'The reality is that you don't person postulation resources that you tin utilization each complete nan world.

'We person to trust connected partners for areas wherever we deliberation we tin return a small risk.'

One root told The Wall Street Journal that Hamas was not connected nan 'bottom rung' of nan database of priorities - but they were not successful nan apical half. 

Some defended nan U.S. approach, pointing retired that aft 9/11 al-Qaeda was importantly much of a threat to U.S. lives.

The panic group killed astir 3,000 Americans successful September 2001, bombed American embassies and conducted galore different deadly violent attacks.

'I don't callback astatine nan clip anybody saying you were focusing excessively overmuch connected al-Qaeda,' a erstwhile elder CIA charismatic said.

The statement wrong nan U.S. intelligence organization comes arsenic Israel's ain spy agencies look superior questions astir nan monolithic lapse. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successful nan early hours of Sunday appeared to blame security and intelligence officials for failing to observe signs that Hamas's devastating penetration was imminent - and was past forced to apologize.

'Never, nether immoderate circumstance, was premier curate Netanyahu alerted to Hamas' intent to motorboat a war,' wrote Netanyahu, successful nan now-deleted post.

'On nan contrary, each information officials, including nan caput of subject intelligence and nan caput of Shin Bet (Israel's soul information agency), believed Hamas was deterred.

'This was nan information that was submitted clip and again to nan premier curate and nan (security) furniture by each information officials and nan intelligence community, correct until nan warfare collapsed out.'

The station was published connected X hours aft Netanyahu gave a property convention precocious connected Saturday, successful which he was asked if he had been warned astir nan threat of an attack.

Netanyahu said location had been a 'terrible failure' earlier nan attacks, during which Hamas militants besides snatched 230 hostages from kibbutz communities, a euphony festival, towns and subject bases crossed confederate Israel.

'There was a unspeakable nonaccomplishment and this will beryllium examined intensively,' he told nan property conference. 

'No chromatic will beryllium near unturned. For nan moment, my ngo is to prevention nan country, and lead nan soldiers to a full triumph complete Hamas and nan forces of evil.'

His station was deleted connected Sunday greeting and replaced a fewer minutes later.

'I was wrong,' he declared successful nan caller post.

'Things I said pursuing nan property convention shouldn't person been said, and I apologise for that.

'I afloat backmost each nan heads of nan information establishment. I backmost nan subject main of staff, and nan commanders and soldiers of nan IDF (Israel Defense Forces) who are connected nan beforehand and fighting for our home. Together we will win,' he wrote.

Benny Gantz, a retired wide and personnel of Israel's warfare cabinet, urged Netanyahu to retract nan statement. 

Israel's guidance leader Yair Lapid besides slammed Netanyahu, saying nan PM 'crossed a reddish line'. 

Lapid criticized nan authorities for not being 'present' and 'failing to look from nan shock' of October 7.