WSJ Editorial: McMaster and the Commander; the latest target of Steve Bannons media friends.

[question everything]

Chief of Staff John Kelly is by all accounts imposing more discipline in the Trump White House, but a mini-drama of the last week shows there’s still more clean-up duty to be done. To wit, notice the alt-right brigades who seem to rise up as if on call to smite some White House policy opponent of aide Steve Bannon.

The latest target has been H.R. McMaster, the three-star general who took over as national security adviser after President Trump fired Michael Flynn. Lt. Gen. McMaster has come in for abuse for favoring more troops and a new strategy in Afghanistan, for warning that Vladimir Putin is no friend of America, and for advising that Mr. Trump not precipitously withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. He also recently dismissed some NSC staff members who were brought on by Mr. Flynn and are said to be allies of Mr. Bannon.

Policy brawls are routine in any White House, and Lt. Gen. McMaster can surely handle his corner. The issue for Mr. Kelly—and Mr. Trump—is what to do when disagreement inside the White House turns into vilification of his staff from the outside.

Somehow the Bannon brigades outside the White House decided to assail the general as insufficiently pro-Israel and not hostile enough to Islamic State, among other calumnies. The latter is especially preposterous since then Colonel McMaster developed the counter-insurgency strategy in Tal Afar that was the prototype for the 2007 “surge” that won the Iraq War.

Mr. Trump issued a statement of support for Lt. Gen. McMaster late on Friday, which in a better White House would settle the matter. But rather than question the general’s loyalties, perhaps Mr. Kelly should question Mr. Bannon’s. The former Breitbart publisher has been a White House survivor, but his warring habits have also been responsible for much of the White House dysfunction.

Mr. Trump may worry about the damage Mr. Bannon and his allies could do to his Administration if he is no longer part of the White House team. But if his minions continue to vilify his colleagues inside the White House, how can anyone tell the difference?

https://www.wsj.com/articles/mcmaster-and-the-commander-1502234710

[pangaia]

1. "...... prototype for the 2007 surge that won the Iraq War. "

We "WON' the Iraq war?

Boy, that's news to me.

I guess we WON the Vietnam War and the Korean War also.

[riversedge]

2. The 11th Hour did good segment on this tonight

[LudwigPastorius]

3. This Daily Caller article confirms that the long knives are out for McMaster.

Initial leak (Trump's phone calls with the leaders of Mexico and Australia) accusations from two White House officials focused on Megan Badasch, the National Security Council (NSC) deputy executive secretary, who manages the NSC’s document portal. The portal included transcripts of his discussions, which makes her one of three people with access to the leaked documents. But three senior officials within the White House say Badasch had nothing to do with the leaks, and point out that no evidence has been provided to prove that she did.

The finger-pointing is a reflection of growing divisions within the NSC under Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster. Three current administration officials interviewed by The Daily Caller blame the volatile McMaster for the atmosphere and for a growing demoralization among the staff. One official characterized the NSC under his leadership as a “poisonous environment.”

-snip-

Three current White House officials — all of whom requested anonymity — charged that McMaster opposes key Trump foreign and military policies.

“H.R. is just not aligned with the president, from NAFTA to climate change, to radical Islam, to immigration, to Cuba, Afghanistan and Iran. I am at a pain to find an issue that H.R. actually aligns with the president, except to the desire to actually win and beat ISIS. That’s the only one,” said one of the administration officials interviewed by The Daily Caller.

More here: http://dailycaller.com/2017/08/09/exclusive-poisonous-atmosphere-grips-mcmasters-national-security-council-as-accusations-fly/


Too bad. McMaster seems like one of the few competent and sane members of the Trump administration. Hopefully, Bannon and his dark bag of alt. right nuts won't be able to oust him. (And oh yeah, why the fuck is Bannon still allowed to attend National Security Council meetings?)