|
Acting defense secretary reportedly hires adviser who called for total withdrawal from Afghanistan 'as soon as possible'
 [Washington Examiner] The Pentagon reportedly hired retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, an advocate of getting troops out of Afghanistan, as a senior adviser to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller.Macgregor's experience "will be used to assist in the continued implementation of the President's national security priorities," Axios reported, citing a Pentagon spokesman. Macgregor said that he would advise the president to move troops out of Afghanistan "as soon as possible" during a 2019 interview with Fox News's Tucker Carlson. The retired colonel also said that talking to the Taliban was "unnecessary" and that the U.S. Embassy should be removed from Kabul. "The nations in the region have an interest in the place," he said. "They want to have to deal with it. Let them deal with it." Macgregor advised a similar approach for Syria. Miller was hired after President Trump suddenly fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday. Trump has expressed his desire to have all troops pulled out of Afghanistan by Christmas. With Joe Biden the apparent president-elect of the United States, it is unclear whether the president will move forward with such a plan. Related: Douglas Macgregor: 2020-09-11 Russia Russia Russia: Nat’l sec’ty adviser Robert O’Brien denies ordering intel report altered Douglas Macgregor: 2020-08-29 Yevgeny Vindman, brother of impeachment witness, files whistleblower complaint Douglas Macgregor: 2020-08-25 Richard Grenell on Trump: 'He Doesn't Play Identity Politics' Related: Christopher Miller: 2020-11-09 Trump says he has fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper Christopher Miller: 2020-09-24 ‘United States cannot consider Lukashenko the legitimately elected leader of Belarus'’ Christopher Miller: 2020-06-05 Grassley blocks nominees over Trump's inspector general firings Posted by: Besoeker 2020-11-12 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=587246 |