U.S. Defense Secretary Denies "Endless War" Rhetoric, Says the U.S. Has No Intention of Falling into a Quagmire

PANews March 2 News: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin denied the view that the Iraq war would escalate into an “endless conflict” that former President Trump vowed to avoid during his re-election campaign, stating that “our generation is more aware of the stakes.” Austin said at a briefing, “Our ambitions are not utopian but realistic.” He added, “This is not Iraq, this is not endless. Our generation is very clear, and so is the President. This operation has clear objectives, is destructive, and decisive.” Austin described the threats facing the United States as imminent, stating that Iran has built a conventional weapons shield to protect its nuclear ambitions. He said Iran is “pushing a conventional weapon against our heads.”