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I wrote – Hoda El-Shimi:
In light of its refusal to admit defeat and move forward with the challenge of the election results, the administration of US President Donald Trump made several changes to the Pentagon, fired many of its top officials and replaced them with others loyal to the outgoing president, the first of which was the removal of Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the appointment of his interim agency. Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
The changes announced by the Pentagon in an official statement almost 24 hours after Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, caused concern among military and civil ministry officials about what could happen over the next period.
As usual, Trump announced his important decision on Twitter, tweeting: “Mark Esper’s service has been canceled. I would like to thank him for his services.” “I am pleased to announce that Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center (whose appointment was approved unanimously by the Senate) and widely respected, will serve as acting secretary of defense effective immediately.
The disagreement between Esper and Trump began long before the presidential election, according to media reports, disagreements occurred between the president and his defense minister on various issues, and the president was outraged by Esper’s opposition to the use of the Army to quell protests against police violence and racism following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“Has revenge started?”
However, this step was expected and hinted at by many analysts and commentators, who expected Trump to launch a fierce attack on all those who he believed did not provide enough support and did not back him if he was defeated by his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. In the elections.
Analysts and former administration officials said what Trump is doing now is not strange, as he may have started the revenge phase, like the one that began after he survived the attempt by Democrats in the House of Representatives to overthrow him, already that the president seeks to harm those who did not help him.
Informed sources also noted, according to CNN, that senior US administration officials are intimidating employees seeking new jobs after the end of the transition phase after 70 days, because Trump is not yet convinced that he is about to go and leave the White House.
The ‘decapitation stage’
An analysis by CNN reported that the US president may seek to remove various officials from official US institutions to destabilize Biden and create a state of turmoil that undermines his team’s chances and prevents him from moving forward with their electoral promises.
Trump has removed or forced the resignation of four top officials since last Monday, including Esper, the head of his office, and senior officials who oversee politics and intelligence. According to CNN.
A senior defense official told CNN late Tuesday that the Trump administration appeared to have completed the “beheading for now,” referring to the removal of several Pentagon leaders, including Esper.
These moves are likely to heighten the sense of chaos within the Pentagon, as well as fears that the United States will go through a chaotic transition period that could undermine national security.
‘Dictatorial movements’
Sources familiar with the matter told CNN on Tuesday that it now appears the White House is focusing on observing Esper and all of his allies in the Defense Department.
Esper has been replaced by Christopher Miller, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
Sources attributed the reason for this decision to the withdrawal of Esper and his team from the premature withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the former defense minister believes that the decision cannot be implemented in the presence of many outstanding security issues on the ground.
Esper’s position on the issue of the withdrawal of US soldiers from Afghanistan contradicted Trump’s wish, and the US media cited analysts and observers that the outgoing president could order, during his remaining days in power, to return to all US soldiers in some Afghan areas and territories, a step they warned of. Of them, and stressed that it can carry dangerous consequences.
A Defense Ministry official, who was not disclosed by CNN, said what is happening now is “very scary and disturbing,” adding: “These are dictatorial movements.”
Conspiracy theories and loyalists to the president
Trump tried earlier this year to nominate Tata, a former Fox News commentator, to the position, which is the third-largest in the Pentagon, but his candidacy was withdrawn due to bipartisan, Democratic and Republican opposition, to eventually take over. the position of deputy undersecretary.
Tata made numerous anti-Islam and offensive comments on various sides and promoted various conspiracy theories. He wrote a series of tweets on Twitter in 2018, claiming that Obama was a “terrorist leader”, harming America and helping Muslim countries more than any other American president.
Tata is widely viewed as one of Trump’s most loyal, especially as he continued to support him even after Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee indicated they were unprepared to accept the post in the Department of Defense earlier this year. .
Destroy the Pentagon
Democratic politician Adam Smith, head of the Department of the Armed Forces in the House of Representatives, believes that what is happening now is very dangerous. Which should be of concern to all Americans. “
The decision was made to appoint Cash Patel to the position of Chief of Staff in the office of Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, replacing Jane Stewart, who held this position during the Esper era.
Patel recently served as Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council, a controversial figure, according to CNN, who previously worked with Republican Rep. Devin Nunez on the House Intelligence Committee, and was among the names mentioned during the Attempted overthrow of House Democrats. From the president of the United States, and it is said that he was one of those responsible for deciding to postpone military aid to Ukraine last year.
A US administration official said Patel has a “very close” working relationship with Acting Secretary of Defense Miller.
Ezra Cohen-Watnik was appointed to the Defense Intelligence and Security post, replacing retired Admiral Joseph Karnan.
Cohen-Watnick gained notoriety in March 2017 following accusations that he was involved in providing intelligence material to then-Speaker Núñez of the House of Representatives.
The Associated Press reported that Cohen Watnick is one of the people known for his strong loyalty to President Trump, and that he previously served on the National Security Council in the White House, and was one of the closest advisers to former National Security Advisor Michael. Flynn.
“There is no need to be afraid.”
Although these are unusual changes, several former officials and military analysts said there is nothing to scare, and assured the British Guardian newspaper that there is no need to worry about the Ministry of Defense being used as a weapon or being included in the political game of despair Trump for staying in power.
“Senior military officers in the Pentagon remain, their positions remain the same, and they emphasized that the role of the military is very limited in any civil unrest in the country,” said Mark Cancian, retired Marine Corps colonel. United States and former Pentagon official.
Eugene Jules, a former Pentagon consultant and author of the books America’s Defense Policy: The Origins of Security Policy, agreed, saying, “There is something firmly established among military officers in the Pentagon, which is that The military cannot be used to make any political arrangements. “
Jules, who is now a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, believes that the goal behind the cabinet shakeup is to provide a service to those people known for their loyalty to the President of the United States, and allow them to add those important positions in their resumes.
“The new Pentagon officials can now be proud of the leadership positions they held even during a brief period in the administration of an American president,” Jules said.
