FBI probing US counter-terrorism chief who resigned over Iran war, reports say

"A good deal of key decision makers were not allowed to come and express their opinion to the president. There wasn't a robust debate. Kent painted a picture of a White House in which Trump relied on a tight inner circle of advisers, sidelining officials who questioned both the intelligence and the strategic wisdom underpinning the strikes."

"Kent insisted that there was no evidence that Iran was close to gaining a nuclear weapon or posed an imminent threat to the US. There was no intelligence that said Iran was going to launch a big sneak attack or attack one of US bases. There was none of that intelligence."

"Instead, Kent alleged, Trump's hand was effectively forced by Israel. The Israelis drove the decision to take this action, he said, claiming that the administration's decision-making process was heavily influenced by Israeli interests rather than independent US intelligence assessments."

Joe Kent, director of the national counterterrorism center, resigned from his position citing concerns about the US airstrikes on Iran conducted on February 28. The FBI is investigating Kent over an alleged classified information leak, with the inquiry predating his departure. In his first media interview with Tucker Carlson, Kent claimed that key decision-makers opposing the strikes were excluded from the decision-making process, preventing robust debate. He asserted there was no intelligence indicating Iran posed an imminent threat or was close to developing nuclear weapons. Kent alleged that Israel effectively drove the decision to conduct the airstrikes, suggesting the administration relied on a narrow circle of advisers while sidelining officials who questioned both the intelligence and strategic rationale.

Read at www.theguardian.com