If you are referring to LtGen McInerney as "Mr. Former" the you should read his Air Force bio. He had a very distinguished career and rose to the military's second highest rank. Retired senior generals and admirals (three and four stars) are never completely out of the loop, and there are plenty of serving officers in McInerney's orbit. He is certainly credible.
Thank you for your informative post. I was kidding of course, and I apologize for being flippant.
Still, in the end how credible any of the countless experts appearing in the media are will decide the final resolution (if any.)