Donilon to Replace Jones as National Security Adviser

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

President Obama will announce on Friday that Gen. James Jones, the national security adviser, is resigning and will be replaced by his deputy, Thomas E. Donilon, senior administration officials said.

General Jones’s departure had been long rumored, and he had previously indicated to his staff that he intended to leave by the end of the year. But the schedule was accelerated, and in recent weeks White House staff members had been increasingly critical of General Jones for statements that he apparently made to Bob Woodward, the author of “Obama’s Wars,” an account of the internal decision making on policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/donilon-to-replace-jones-as-national-security-adviser/?hp

[CHIMO]

1. Barack Obama names Tom Donilon national security adviser

Source: guardian.co.uk

US commanders will come under greater pressure to begin withdrawing significant numbers of troops from Afghanistan next July after the appointment today of a new White House national security adviser, Tom Donilon.

He takes over from General James Jones, whose resignation after less than two years was announced today by Obama. Donilon is expected to be much more forceful than Jones as Obama's main adviser on foreign affairs and defence.

Donilon, with no military background, is much more political than Jones and sided with the vice-president, Joe Biden, in pushing for as early an exit from Afghanistan as possible and was reluctant to accede to the generals' insistence on sending an extra 30,000 troops this year.

His stance will put him at odds with the US commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, who took over this summer and is reluctant to begin withdrawing significant numbers of US troops until it is clear that progress has been made.


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/08/barack-obama-tom-donilon

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. This looks like good news!!