28 Mar 2024
Friday 28 July 2017 - 11:48
Story Code : 270084

White House fires top national security aide on Mideast, Iran - Reports



Sputnik - Derek Harvey, a top adviser to President Donald Trump on the Middle East and Iran, has been fired by National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, according to media reports on Thursday.




WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Harveys dismissal was related totensions withSecretary ofDefense James Mattis and Secretary ofState Rex Tillerson overhow todeal withIran, asopposed to "internecine staff fighting," the Weekly Standard reported.
"Mattis, inparticular, had disagreements withHarvey and that he raised the issue withNational Security Adviser H.R. McMaster," the report stated, based ontwo sources. "McMaster met withHarvey this morning todeliver the news."


Harvey was a strong, behind-the-scenes advocate ofTrumps decision tostrike Syria inresponse toBashar Assads use ofchemical weapons and he was driving a more aggressive approach toIran, according tothe report.

On April 4, the National Coalition forSyrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces supported bythe United States blamed the Syrian government foranalleged chemical weapon attack inKhan SheikhouninSyrias Idlib province. Reacting tothe incident, Washington, which had not presented any proof ofthe chemical weapons use byDamascus, launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles atthe Syrian governmental military airfield inAsh Shairat onApril 6.

Damascus has repeatedly denied any involvement inthe incident and said that the Syrian government doesn't possess chemical weapons asthe full destruction ofDamascus chemical weapons stockpile had been confirmed bythe Organization forthe Prohibition ofChemical Weapons (OPCW) inJanuary 2016.

"The administration is working withColonel Harvey toidentify positions inwhich his background and expertise can be best utilized," National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton told the Weekly Standard.

Harvey was willing toaccept another policy or intelligence position inthe administration, the report noted.

Tillerson has a growing number ofdifferenceswiththe White House, including a new debate overUS policy towardIran, the CNN broadcaster reported onMonday. Although the former Exxon-Mobil CEO was determined tostay inhis post throughthe end ofthe year, two sources told the broadcaster overthe weekend that they would not be surprised if he left sooner thanthat.

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