If Flynn was considered a staunch supporter of trump, extreme views which reflect their own views of the President, Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster (Herbert Raymond McMaster) has a reputation for speaking with authority openly and publicly demonstrated commitment to the position, directly contrary to the views of not only Flynn, but the trump.
McMaster, whom many consider one of the leading thinkers, strategists of the US army (it is called the “warrior-intellectual”), being on your last post of Director of the Center for the integration of combat capabilities of the US army, put the threat from Russia in the spotlight. He publicly warned the congressmen about the threat posed by Moscow.
McMaster shows prudence and does not mix religion with jihadist terrorism. In 2016, speaking at the Military Institute of Virginia, he accused ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in Russia — approx. transl.) “[using] a perverse interpretation of religion.”
Flynn, by contrast, argued in his book published in 2016 that the United States participate in the “world war” with radical Islam, and it has long suspected of too close ties with Russia.
In 2015, Lieutenant General in retirement (Flynn) for a cash consideration delivered a speech in Moscow at the event, during which he sat with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Last week, Flynn was forced to resign after it became known that he was misled by Vice-President Mike Pence (Mike Pence) about the content of his telephone conversation with the Russian Ambassador, held before the inauguration.
And if Flynn was known as a fiery ideologue, McMaster is considered an intellectual and a strategist who is willing to act against popular opinion.
“[McMaster] is a military commander. Flynn was a military intelligence officer in the main staff officer. And the type of personality they differ from each other, — says Lieutenant General retired Dave Barno (Dave Barno), who knows McMaster for many years. — I’m not sure I would call it the antithesis of Flynn, but they are completely different people”.
The choice of McMaster, along with some public statements over the weekend were made by other senior administration officials, could play into the hands of supporters of the trump. They argue that fears that the President will ignore information that does not fit into his world view, somewhat exaggerated.
The President has already more than one month is in public conflict with the intelligence community. The interdepartmental analytical report, according to which Russia tried to interfere in presidential elections in the United States to help the Tramp and which the President acknowledged grudgingly and only partially.
Critics fear that trump will allow political loyalists like chief strategist Steve Bannon (Steve Bannon) to lead a sort of “shadow Council” who will make important decisions in matters of national security. Former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the news website Breitbart News, was recently appointed a member of the national security Council, which probably confirmed the fears of those who worried that’bannon will make a big impact in the field of national security.
However, McMaster was not the first (and even second) candidate nominated by the President for this position. Vice Admiral US Navy retired Robert Harvard (Robert Harward) has rejected an offer by trump to take the seat vacated by the resignation of Flynn.
According to reports, the McMaster wasn’t even in sight of the President — while Republican Senator from Arkansas, Tom cotton (Tom Cotton) has not offered his candidacy after the resignation of Flynn.
It remains unclear how independent it will be and how much influence will use in the White house.
The same views, for which McMaster is praised outside of the administration, may become the cause of his differences with the President — in particular, in matters relating to Russia. Trump has repeatedly called for the establishment of warmer relations with the Kremlin.
“Ultimately the decision — whether by Russia or any other questions — always takes a President”, — said Tuesday the press-Secretary Sean Spicer (Sean Spicer).
McMaster is known as the man who talks back to his superiors even if it might damage his career. In the mid 2000-ies it was twice expelled from the list of candidates for the title of Brigadier General allegedly due to the fact that he was willing to go against the authorities, if only to conduct a counterinsurgency campaign in 2005 (successful in the end), which was recaptured the town of tal afar in Northern Iraq.
And it was only when former General David Petraeus (David Petraeus) has provided support to McMaster, he was promoted to Brigadier General.
“Knowing his character, I think that he won’t hesitate to come to the President and tell him what he may not know what he may not agree and that he and his presidential point of view may find it problematic, says bar. — Herbert will raise these issues.”
By the way, some senior officials from the trump over the weekend made public statements directly contrary to the statements of the President on key issues of foreign policy that suggests that trump may follow the advice of the more experienced in matters of foreign policy officials.
On Thursday, speaking in Brussels, Secretary of defense James Mattis (James Mattis) said that the United States “are unable” to cooperate with Russia in military terms — despite the fact that the President urges U.S. and Russians to unite in the fight against ISIS.
And Pens, and U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley (Nikki Haley) in the last days repeatedly insisted that the United States is fully prepared to fulfill its obligations to NATO. Earlier, trump publicly stated that the Alliance was “outdated” organization.
Secretary Rex Tillerson (Rex Tillerson) has also taken a tougher stance toward Moscow than his head, saying after a meeting with the Minister of foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov that Russia must fulfill its commitments on the “de-escalation of violence in Ukraine.”
McMaster literally wrote the book on how to speak truth to power. This book, “Dereliction of duty” (“Dereliction of Duty”, 1997) based on his dissertation, which he defended at the University of North Carolina at chapel hill, and was published when he was on active duty. In it, he laid the blame for the tragedy in Vietnam the commanders who have succumbed to political pressure.
McMaster has criticized the security Council meeting with President Lyndon Johnson (Lyndon Johnson), calling them “the formal events during which the President tried to reach a consensus on the already adopted decisions” and condemning “the failure of the President to take into account different views on the Vietnam issue.”
“He wanted advisors who would tell him what he wanted to hear,” wrote MacMaster.
The purpose of the McMaster immediately called approval of representatives from across the ideological spectrum — especially coming from a hostile against Russia, and is experiencing irritation of the “hawks” on Capitol hill. The Republican Senator from Arizona John McCain (John McCain), who sharply criticized the national security apparatus in the administration of trump, called the choice of McMaster “outstanding”.
“I believe that the decision and positions of leadership in the field of national security, are a huge credit to the President trump” — he said in his statement.
“Candidate McMaster is a wonderful choice, sensible and strategically correct, wrote on Monday in his microblog in Twitter a senior Democrat from California, a member of the intelligence Committee in the house of representatives Adam Schiff (Adam Schiff). — He wrote a book about the importance of countering the US President. Perhaps here he will have to show the same independence.”
Since McMaster is the current General order that, after the inauguration of the presidential adviser on national security, he maintained his General rank, will need the approval of the Senate.
