Albright, Kissinger, Lewandowski Ousted From Pentagon Boards by Biden Defense Secretary
Benjamin Fearnow 17 hrs ago
http://a.msn.com/01/en-us/BB1dkhiD?ocid=sf
Albright, Kissinger, Lewandowski Ousted From Pentagon Boards by Biden Defense Secretary
http://a.msn.com/01/en-us/BB1dkhiD?ocid=sf
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday cleaned house at Pentagon advisory boards with sweeping dismissals of former President Donald Trump's appointments and those of any other previous administration.
© CHIP SOMODEVILLA / Staff/Getty Images U.S. Army (retired) General Lloyd Austin (L) speaks after being formally nominated to be Secretary of the Department of Defense by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden (at the Queen Theatre on December 09, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. The only African-American to have headed U.S. Central Command, Lloyd Austin, 67, is a four-star general who was in charge of American forces in Iraq from 2010 to late 2011.
The Biden administration move to remove every single member of the Pentagon's policy advisory boards, including former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger, allowed Austin to avoid selectively firing late Trump administration appointments. Corey Lewandowski, the former head of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and one of his most outspoken cable news advocates, was among those removed from the Defense Business Board.
Such advisory boards are used to influence the actions of the defense secretary, particularly in how it will affect U.S. business and foreign policy. Partisan conservative activists and ardent Trump supporters including David Bossie and Lewandowski were removed alongside several former Democratic counterparts. Austin fired all members who were currently serving on the Department of Defense's boards effective February 16.
The sweeping removal of all members of these boards also meant Austin didn't have to separately review each of the dozen Trump supporters whom acting defense secretary Chris Miller named in the final weeks of the previous administration. Some Democratic members of Congress and progressive strategists praised the dismissal of the vocal Trump supporters alongside people like Kissinger, who has for decades been labeled a "war monger" by critics. In 2009, Kissinger advised then-President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Biden to commit more troops to Afghanistan.
Austin issued a memo last Saturday which said the Pentagon is now completing a "zero-based review" of at least 42 defense advisory committees, Politico's Dave Brown reported Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the new defense chief plans to fill all these vacated posts in the coming weeks. Due to access to classified information and military intelligence, the security clearance process can require weeks or months to confirm new members. The Pentagon policy boards were first created during the 1950s, and were intended to bring a diverse range of opinions inside the tight-knit Pentagon.
This broad move was predicted last week by many Washington insiders who noted Austin's suspension of the onboarding process for Trump administration nominees to Pentagon advisory roles. Security clearance investigations can cost taxpayers up to $30,000 per individual appointee.
Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon for any additional remarks about the advisory board dismissals Tuesday afternoon.
Others removed from the boards by Austin this week include former Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and former Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman of California.
The Biden administration is inheriting two ongoing foreign wars that were started during George W. Bush's administration.
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Benjamin Fearnow 17 hrs ago
http://a.msn.com/01/en-us/BB1dkhiD?ocid=sf
Albright, Kissinger, Lewandowski Ousted From Pentagon Boards by Biden Defense Secretary
http://a.msn.com/01/en-us/BB1dkhiD?ocid=sf
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday cleaned house at Pentagon advisory boards with sweeping dismissals of former President Donald Trump's appointments and those of any other previous administration.
© CHIP SOMODEVILLA / Staff/Getty Images U.S. Army (retired) General Lloyd Austin (L) speaks after being formally nominated to be Secretary of the Department of Defense by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden (at the Queen Theatre on December 09, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. The only African-American to have headed U.S. Central Command, Lloyd Austin, 67, is a four-star general who was in charge of American forces in Iraq from 2010 to late 2011.
The Biden administration move to remove every single member of the Pentagon's policy advisory boards, including former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger, allowed Austin to avoid selectively firing late Trump administration appointments. Corey Lewandowski, the former head of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and one of his most outspoken cable news advocates, was among those removed from the Defense Business Board.
Such advisory boards are used to influence the actions of the defense secretary, particularly in how it will affect U.S. business and foreign policy. Partisan conservative activists and ardent Trump supporters including David Bossie and Lewandowski were removed alongside several former Democratic counterparts. Austin fired all members who were currently serving on the Department of Defense's boards effective February 16.
The sweeping removal of all members of these boards also meant Austin didn't have to separately review each of the dozen Trump supporters whom acting defense secretary Chris Miller named in the final weeks of the previous administration. Some Democratic members of Congress and progressive strategists praised the dismissal of the vocal Trump supporters alongside people like Kissinger, who has for decades been labeled a "war monger" by critics. In 2009, Kissinger advised then-President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Biden to commit more troops to Afghanistan.
Austin issued a memo last Saturday which said the Pentagon is now completing a "zero-based review" of at least 42 defense advisory committees, Politico's Dave Brown reported Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the new defense chief plans to fill all these vacated posts in the coming weeks. Due to access to classified information and military intelligence, the security clearance process can require weeks or months to confirm new members. The Pentagon policy boards were first created during the 1950s, and were intended to bring a diverse range of opinions inside the tight-knit Pentagon.
This broad move was predicted last week by many Washington insiders who noted Austin's suspension of the onboarding process for Trump administration nominees to Pentagon advisory roles. Security clearance investigations can cost taxpayers up to $30,000 per individual appointee.
Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon for any additional remarks about the advisory board dismissals Tuesday afternoon.
Others removed from the boards by Austin this week include former Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and former Democratic Congresswoman Jane Harman of California.
The Biden administration is inheriting two ongoing foreign wars that were started during George W. Bush's administration.
Start your unlimited Newsweek trial
