U.S. President Appoints General McMaster as National Security Advisor

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, appointed General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his National Security Advisor on Monday. Prior to this appointment, General McMaster served as the Director of Capabilities Integration in the U.S. Army. The 54-year-old three-star general previously managed the ISAF's 'Transparency' program in Afghanistan for a period. The appointment of General McMaster comes a week after the President agreed to the resignation of his former National Security Advisor, Mike Flynn. During the introduction of General McMaster, Trump referred to him as a man 'with remarkable talent and experience' and described their meeting in a tweet as very interesting. At the same time, Trump appointed Keith Kellogg, who had been overseeing the National Security Council in recent days, as the Chief of Staff of the Council. Reports on Sunday indicated that Donald Trump had spoken with at least four candidates for the National Security Advisor position, including both General McMaster and General Kellogg. Meanwhile, it was announced on Friday that Admiral Robert Harward, a retired U.S. Navy officer who was offered the National Security Advisor position, declined the role. The National Security Advisor position is one of the most important advisory roles that is in direct contact with the President and does not require confirmation by the U.S. Congress. General McMaster is regarded as one of the distinguished officers of the U.S. Army and a 'leading thinker in military affairs.' He authored a critical book on the Vietnam War titled 'Dereliction of Duty' in 1997, which questions the political and military leadership of the U.S. during that war. In this context, Admiral Harward declined the offer for the National Security Advisor position. Congressional representatives called for investigations into Flynn's contacts with Russia. Russia stated that Michael Flynn's resignation is 'insignificant.' The White House indicated that Donald Trump had lost trust in Michael Flynn. Trump criticized the 'illegal leak' of information a day after Flynn's resignation. Michael Flynn, Trump's National Security Advisor, resigned.