John Bolton says US intelligence community should ask itself, ‘What else have we missed?’ following Hamas attack

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton said Friday the attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas that surprised both Israel and the rest of world should prompt U.S. intelligence to ask itself what else it’s missed.

In a Friday interview with CBS News, Bolton said the main threat in the attacks is against Israel, but the U.S. intelligence community should reexamine their approach.

“I think it’s almost certain that having missed this attack to begin with, not just Israeli intelligence missing it, but our own intelligence community, whatever evidence there was, they didn’t draw the right conclusions,” Bolton said in an interview with CBS News. “You know, the next question you should as is ‘What else have we missed?’”

The former Trump security advisor said he thinks that any recovery operation of the hostages taken by Hamas are under “extraordinarily difficult circumstances” since the attack came as a surprise to everyone.

The Biden administration is correct to seek a diplomatic approach to the rescue, according to Bolton, but as more time passes before rescue efforts begin the lives of the hostages are in “even greater danger,” he said.

Bolton said he isn’t sure what the militant group Hezbollah is planning next, but said that since Friday was declared “day of rage” by a former Hamas leader, it could be the beginning of a much longer process.

“I think anybody who thinks this is going to be over in a few days is unfortunately mistaken,” he said.

Former President Trump has criticized both the Israeli government and the United States for not being prepared ahead of the attacks. He criticized Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not foreseeing the deadly attack by Hamas and called Hezbollah “very smart.”

The former president drew blowback for his comments, but both Trump and Bolton agree, neither the U.S. nor Israel were prepared for Saturday’s attacks.