"Zero Dark Thirty" was a pretty solid movie. I liked it because the producers and director didn’t sugarcoat the way that CIA operatives treated terrorists. Terrorists deserved their fate. The composite protagonist “Maya” was a CIA analyst who worked tirelessly to bring justice down on Osama Bin Laden — AKA a bullet to the brain.  

After Maya had fingered where Bin Laden was, she met with Leon Panetta, the then-head of the CIA. Panetta was portrayed by James Gandolfini. I don’t object to artistic license when actors portray real people, but Gandolfini was a big man: 6’1” and intimidating. He looked intimidating just standing still. Panetta, on his best day, is 5’7”. If Panetta had “met” Maya face to face, she likely looked “down” at Panetta. Panetta was portrayed as a tough-as-nails leader rather than a man who calculated the political winds before opening his mouth.  

Panetta was and has always been a political hack. A “yes man” who ended up heading the CIA, not because of years of experience at Langley or bringing some unique skills to the Agency, Panetta was appointed to head the CIA because of politics. Barack Obama put him in that position because he helped Democrats get elected, and he was the chief of staff for Clinton.  

In 2011, after the Bin Laden raid, Panetta reveled in the success of the mission. Panetta addressed a throng of people at a CIA Headquarters event – which was to honor the people connected to the raid. At that event, Panetta disclosed classified information — in fact,  "Secret" and "Top Secret" information regarding the personnel who found Bin Laden and who conducted it. He fingered the SEAL team (DevGru) and fingered the ground commander. Panetta also revealed more Top Secret information during the speech that was attended by 1,300, many of whom had NO clearance at all.  

And:  

In October 2020, Panetta and a group of 50 other former senior intelligence officials signed a letter stating the Hunter Biden laptop controversy had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian disinformation operation" because it contained potentially damaging information to the Biden campaign.  

We knew then — and even the New York Times has admitted now — that Hunter's laptop being "Russian disinfo" was utter nonsense propagated by unserious political hacks, not the least of whom was Leon Panetta.  

Now, Panetta has decided to weigh in on the “pager” attack on Hezbollah terrorists. Panetta said:  

“I don’t think there’s any question that it’s a form of terrorism,” Panetta said on “CBS News Sunday morning.” 

“This is going right into the supply chain,” he added. “And when you have terror going into the supply chain, it makes people ask the question: ‘What the hell is next?’” 

He’s aligned himself with fools like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), who labeled the (frankly brilliant) pager attack as an outrageous act and a war crime.  

During a CBS News interview, Panetta added:  

“I think it’s going to be very important for the nations of the world to have a serious discussion about whether or not this is an area that everybody has to focus on, because if they don’t try to deal with it now, mark my words, it is the battlefield of the future.” 

Battlefield of the future? Where have you been, you ridiculous hack? Panetta’s party has been the party that, other than the Bin Laden raid, has managed to muck everything in the Middle East.  

My advice to the former political appointee to head the CIA: Shut up. And, go away.