Posted on 08/03/2017 7:28:48 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
Ezra Cohen-Watnick, the senior director for intelligence on the National Security Council, has been dismissed from the White House, two senior administration officials who are not authorized to discuss personnel matters told Conservative Review on Wednesday.
Cohen-Watnick, 31, was originally brought on board by former NSC chief Gen. Michael Flynn.
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster has, in the past, attempted to rid the council of Cohen-Watnick, but was overruled by President Trump, Steve Bannon, and Jared Kushner.
He has been described as an “Iran hawk” who wanted to revamp counter-Iran efforts in the Middle East, and sought to reform the intelligence community to rein in the “deep state” of unaccountable bureaucrats with rogue agendas.
Cohen-Watnick is the latest Trump loyalist to be fired by Gen. McMaster, whose security council continues to be overwhelmingly staffed with Obama holdovers (almost all of whom have retained their positions).
In the past, McMaster has refused to fire the Obama holdovers. Now-fired Middle East NSC director Derek Harvey compiled a list of Obama holdovers and took that list directly to the president, who requested that McMaster follow through with Harvey's recommendations. McMaster outright refused.
Under McMaster, the National Security Council has leaked classified information at an unprecedented rate, leading Congress to issue a report warning about its ramifications.
Additionally, top Obama officials continue to come and go in and out of the White House compound as they please. One prominent official, Robert Malley (Obama’s “ISIS czar"), has continued to brief National Security Council staff.
Update:
The White House confirmed in a statement that Cohen-Watnick has left the NSC:
General McMaster appreciates the good work accomplished in the NSC's Intelligence directorate under Ezra Cohen's leadership. He has determined that, at this time, a different set of experiences is best-suited to carrying that work forward. General McMaster is confident that Ezra will make many further significant contributions to national security in another position in the administration.
Author's note: This story is developing and will continue to be updated if necessary.
Good for McMaster. We need an America First policy. We don’t need hawks who are looking to open the faucet of American blood and wealth upon another Mideast quagmire, this time in Iran. Douglas MacArthur’s warning against involving the US in an Asian land war still applies.
“In the past, McMaster has refused to fire the Obama holdovers. Now-fired Middle East NSC director Derek Harvey compiled a list of Obama holdovers and took that list directly to the president, who requested that McMaster follow through with Harvey’s recommendations. McMaster outright refused.”
#NotWinning.
Does McMaster have something on Trump? Fire him immediately. Let Bannon hand the dismissal letter to this jerk.
I was shocked at how many anti-Israel military officers there are out there.
Powell was clearly anti-Israel although he kept it hidden.
It will be interesting to see how Kelly deals with McMaster.
You do realize McMaster is keeping the obamites who foisted “ arab spring” on the middle east , supplied ISIS as it grew from being our JV team against Assad, and who back trying to appease the muslim brotherhood to show “ respect” for their religion of peace
The clock is ticking, and the opposition's strategy is to hamstring President Trump and run out the clock. McMaster should have been gone yesterday.
Trump said repeatedly during his campaign that the Iran deal was bad and he wanted a better deal. McMaster thinks the Iran deal is good, and he does not support Israel at all. He is getting rid of everyone that agrees with Trump and keeping Obama people. You know who worked to get Trump to hire him? McCain.
McMaster is the one that needs to go, along with all of the Obama holdovers, Mueller, and Company as well. What the ‘H’ is going on?
It’s so obvious the left is setting up the Trump Administration in their favor for the fight over Obama, Hillary, Comey, and other accessories to their crimes.
McMaster is openly a deep stater. Why is he still around? Are we ever going to be free of these obama slugs? We voted for their removal. Why are they still there? Geezis!
Worse than a bad deal with Iran is looking for conflict over stability. We cannot subordinate our own interests because we have a couple of regional allies who want the US to bear the burden of solving their Iran problems.
“How long before this Obama cronie McMaster is sent packing? It won’t take General Kelly long to figure out what’s going on.”
General Kelly is a supporter of H.R. McMaster. They have worked together in the past. If McMaster leaves, it won’t be because of Kelly.
Obama and minions certainly did their part to make a bad situation worse. But I applaud McMaster or anybody when they banish war hawks like Mr. Cohen-Warnock. It is past time to distance ourselves from the endless conflicts of the Middle East.
Aside from being a General Flynn hire, what evidence is provided that Ezra Cohen-Watnick is a Trump loyalist?
“...Worse than a bad deal with Iran is looking for conflict over stability. We cannot subordinate our own interests because we have a couple of regional allies who want the US to bear the burden of solving their Iran problems....”
this
Suppose to be a Bannon person.
btw, supposedly Kushner also pushed for him to stay when Mcmaster tried to fire him last time.
Obama leftovers and Obama Doctrine promoters are killing this administration. Why the refuse and stink of Obama is still running the country is confounding. We are close to year one of POTUS Trump and Deep State should be quite pleased.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/inside-the-mcmaster-bannon-war/article/2009109
this story is interesting.
Bannon may be leaking to Cernovich because Cernovich is pushing against Mcmaster. Someone tweeted that Mcmaster may be on the way out last week. I think it was Cernovich but cant remember.
>> General Kelly is a supporter of H.R. McMaster <<
And McMaster was urged on the WH by Sen. Tom Cotton, who is said by some to be Trump’s favorite Senator.
In other words, it seems to me as if nothing short of a Richter 10-Scale earthquake is going to remove McMaster.
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