Judging Freedom COL. Lawrence Wilkerson : Did the Pentagon Miscalculate This War?
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Mar 19, 2026 COL. Lawrence Wilkerson, retired Army colonel and former chief of staff to Secretary Colin Powell, shares sharp critiques of military and political decision-making. He discusses security clearance failures, whether Iran posed an imminent threat, Israeli influence on policy, economic fallout from war, risks of escalation including nuclear threats, and how Pentagon overconfidence led to miscalculations.
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Resignation Signals Institutional Failure
- Senior resignations over policy signal moral and institutional blows beyond the individual act.
- Wilkerson says a stronger follow-up by the DNI or congressional testimony would have amplified the impact of the resignation.
Unvetted Advisers Undermine Security Process
- Political actors without security clearances influence national security decisions; this erodes formal processes.
- Wilkerson notes Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon reportedly lacked clearances yet exerted diplomatic/decision influence.
Expose Dissent Publicly To Preserve Credibility
- Read objections and independent assessments aloud and promptly to hold leadership accountable instead of equivocation.
- Wilkerson criticizes Tulsi Gabbard for not publicly reading her resignation letter when testifying.