EX-NSA Director Hayden Compares ISIS Airstrikes To ‘Casual Sex’

General Michael Hayden, director of the CIA and former director of the NSA General Michael Hayden at Oxford Union, Oxford University, Britain - 11 Feb 2014 (Rex Features via AP Images)
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Retired Air Force General Michael Hayden, the former head of the CIA and the National Security Agency, compared conducting airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria to engaging in casual sex.

“The reliance on air power has all of the attraction of casual sex: It seems to offer gratification but with very little commitment,” Hayden said according to US News & World Report. “We need to be wary of a strategy that puts emphasis on air power and air power alone.”

Hayden’s comments come two days after President Barack Obama in a prime time speech vowed “a steady, relentless effort” to battle ISIS, the group that recently publicized beheading two U.S. journalists.

Hayden stressed that just using air power against ISIS might not be enough to fully defeat it.

“We need to be wary of a strategy that puts emphasis on air power and air power alone,” Hayden said. “The sooner we take the fight into Syria against [ISIS], the better of we’ll be.”

(H/t: The Hill)

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  1. Avatar for jsfox jsfox says:

    “The sooner we take the fight into Syria against [ISIS], the better of we’ll be.”

    In other words lets invade another country in the middle east because the last time we did worked out so well.

    Fucking moron.

  2. Avatar for marby marby says:

    Put him in the same category as Rumsfeld and Cheney - Let’s not take advice from those who planned, sold and carried out any policies related to the Iraq War. (and he currently works with Chertoff - ring any nasty bells??)

  3. Actually, its very rare to see a retired USAF general ever even hint that an all air campaign won’t work (they never have, but air forces around the globe still insist they can do it)

  4. Avatar for mantan mantan says:

    What a surprise, he wants it harder and deeper.
    Dr. Frankenfurter, leather courtesy phone, if you please…

  5. Avatar for pdq3 pdq3 says:

    I watched this guy on PBS Frontline’s “United States of Secrets”, smirking about how his intelligence agency lied to congress and did whatever the hell it wanted.

    What a jerk.

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