Washington ‘narcissism’ after 9/11 causes nothing but chaos: ex-US intelligence officer

Former marine Scott Ritter says US policies were driven by revenge, a false sense of supremacy

MOSCOW:

Washington's disastrous policies following the 9/11 terrorist attacks have revealed the narcissistic and disgraceful nature of the US missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, which have led to tragic consequences for the whole world, according to Scott Ritter, a former intelligence officer in the US Marine Corps.

In an article published on Saturday by the Russian broadcaster RT, Ritter examined the consequences and purposes behind US missions following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and concluded that they were all driven by revenge, a false sense of supremacy, and an obnoxious desire to topple whole governments by interfering in their internal affairs.

Ritter wrote that the US invaded Afghanistan after 9/11 to punish the terrorists, seek revenge rather than justice, and eventually attempt to "reshape the whole world according to their vision".

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"Iraq was not supposed to be an isolated event either. Instead, the United States tried to topple the governments of Syria, Iran, and other nations for the purpose of installing governments that we alone deemed acceptable," Ritter wrote.

The United States ignored opportunities to collaborate with the world following 9/11 and demonstrated its "narcissistic personality disorder" by inflating its importance to extreme levels, becoming vulnerable to any kind of criticism and displaying no empathy.

In fact, Washington continues to propagate its superiority up to this day, with the government's rhetoric marked by exaggerated self-importance, an inflated sense of power, as well as American exceptionalism, according to Ritter.

"On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I fear the underlying symptoms of our national personality disorder are only worsening, with our malignancy infecting all we encounter," Ritter wrote.