Trump names top army general as national security advisor

WASHINGTON — United States President Donald Trump has tapped respected Army Lieutenant-General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his National Security Adviser, hoping to course-correct after his first pick resigned and his second turned down the vital post.

Mr Trump announced the counterinsurgency strategist’s appointment on Monday (US local time), ending a one-week search to replace retired Lt-Gen Michael Flynn, who lasted less than a month in the job.

The White House said the President “gave full authority for McMaster to hire whatever staff he sees fit”.

The 54-year-old army officer is known for his criticism of the US military’s handling of the Vietnam War, as well as his own service as a commander in northern Iraq in 2005. A 1997 book he authored is pointedly titled Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies That Led to Vietnam.

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes was quick to praise Lt-Gen McMaster’s “history of questioning the status quo and infusing fresh thinking and new approaches into military affairs”.

His experience fighting insurgents in Iraq’s Tal Afar district is likely to be useful as US and allied forces attempt to retake nearby Mosul from the Islamic State group.

Lt-Gen Flynn was forced to resign on Feb 13, after questionable contacts with the Russian government and revelations that he lied about them to the vice-president and the Federal 
Investigation Bureau. Mr Trump scrambled to replace Lt-Gen Flynn after retired vice-admiral Robert Harward turned down the post.

Mr Trump described Lt-Gen McMaster as “man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience”. “He is highly respected by everyone in the military and we’re very honoured to have him.”

Lt-Gen McMaster is another name on the long list of advisers who have been plucked from the military for the Trump administration. Among others, Mr Trump has named retired officers as his Defence Secretary and Homeland Security Secretary.

Lt-Gen McMaster was most recently the deputy commanding general of the Futures Center at the US Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Mr Trump said Lt-Gen McMaster would work in a “very, very special” collaboration with retired Lt-Gen Keith Kellogg, who had served as acting National Security Adviser for the past week. 

Lt-Gen Kellogg will act as National Security Council (NSC) chief of staff.

The post of National Security Adviser is a crucial, if discreet, engine for White House power and the smooth functioning of government.

The National Security Adviser manages hundreds of staff members, arbitrates between sometimes feuding government departments, balances foreign policy and military policy, and ensures the President’s national security agenda gets implemented.

Current and former staffers fear that, under Mr Trump, the council is currently being bypassed as political aides, such as strategist Steve Bannon, seize the agenda.

Dr Peter Feaver, a veteran of Mr George W Bush’s NSC, said that under the current circumstances, the administration could struggle to handle crises that have diplomatic and military components. “Some kind of crisis will be more challenging for this team until they fix their process.” AFP