A number of countries are breathing a sigh of relief today as US National Security Advisor and ardent war hawk, John Bolton, has apparently been fired by Donald Trump, although Bolton insists that he had handed in his resignation first.
This afternoon, President Trump tweeted:
“I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House… I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” Trump tweeted.
I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2019
However, Bolton is offering a different account of events. After tweeting out that he had offered his resignation to President Trump, Bolton then reached out to reporters to try to amplify the narrative that he had resigned rather than being sacked.
I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, "Let's talk about it tomorrow."
— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) September 10, 2019
Clearly, 2019 has been a difficult year for the National Security Advisor; unable to start a new war or overthrow an elected government has left the arch-NeoCon somewhat in the lurch, and ultimately redundant.
It was no secret that Bolton’s relationship with the White House has been on the rocks ever since Bolton presided over three-consecutive failed coup attempts against the Venezuelan government earlier this year.
According to recent reports, the White House strongly denies that Bolton’s firing was because of his opposition to the Taliban peace talks which were planned to take place at Camp David, before they were canceled over the weekend. Numerous Neoconservatives and Neoliberal hawks were up in arms over the proposal to host the Taliban right before the 18th anniversary of 9/11. Broadly speaking, little has been going Bolton’s way over the last 18 months. He is reported to have been deeply frustrated by the prospect of peace on the Korean peninsula, as well as the lack of progress in starting war with Iran. The Washington Post reported recently:
“Bolton, who has long advocated an expansive military presence around the world, has become a staunch internal foe of an emerging peace deal aimed at ending America’s longest war, the officials said.
His opposition to the diplomatic effort in Afghanistan has irritated President Trump, these officials said, and led aides to leave the National Security Council out of sensitive discussions about the agreement.
The sidelining of Bolton has raised questions about his influence in an administration that is seeking a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as an ambitious nuclear deal with North Korea and potential engagement with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Bolton, U.S. officials said, stands in opposition to those efforts, but he does so increasingly from the periphery.”
Bolton is reported to be considering a number of offers in the defense sector, including board and think tank positions, and possibly as a mainstream media pundit to help talk-up US involvement in more wars on networks like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
READ MORE BOLTON NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Bolton Files
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