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Trump names hostage negotiator O’Brien new national security advisor
WASHINGTON, Sept 18, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – US President Donald Trump on
Wednesday named his pointman for hostage situations, Robert O’Brien, to
replace his hawkish national security advisor sacked last week.
“I have worked long & hard with Robert. He will do a great job!” Trump
tweeted
Last week, Trump abruptly fired John Bolton, a vigorous proponent of using
US military force abroad and one of the main hawks in the administration on
Iran.
O’Brien has until now served as Trump’s envoy for situations involving US
hostages abroad.
He comes into the new job with backing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
and senior Republicans in Congress.
Bolton, by contrast, was a highly controversial figure in Washington. His
instincts for an aggressive, interventionist foreign policy were at odds with
Trump’s more isolationist stance.
Trump said that one reason he fired Bolton was because he “wasn’t getting
along with people in the administration who I consider very important” and
“wasn’t in line with what we were doing.”
O’Brien will become the fourth national security advisor in Trump’s
tumultuous first term.
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