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US President Donald Trump has removed his chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council (NSC), reversing his controversial decision early this year to give a political adviser an unprecedented role in security discussions.
Key points:
- New national security adviser, who replaced Michael Flynn, said to have conflicted with Steve Bannon
- White House official says Bannon was only originally needed as a check on Flynn
- Critics of Bannon's role said it gave too much weight to someone lacking in foreign policy expertise
Mr Trump's overhaul of the NSC, confirmed by a White House official, also elevated General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Dan Coats, the director of National Intelligence who heads all 17 US intelligence agencies.
The official said the change moved the NSC "back to its core function of what it's supposed to do".
It also appears to mark a victory by national security adviser HR McMaster, who had told some national security experts he was not getting along with Mr Bannon and others on the White House staff.
Mr Trump's White House team has grappled with infighting and palace intrigue.
In recent days, several other senior US foreign policy and national security officials have said the mechanisms for shaping the Trump administration's response to pressing challenges such as Syria, North Korea and Iran were still not in place.
Critics of Mr Bannon's role on the NSC said it gave too much weight in decision-making to someone who lacked foreign policy expertise.
Before joining the Trump administration, Mr Bannon headed Breitbart News, a right-wing website.
The White House official said Mr Bannon was no longer needed on the NSC after the departure of Mr Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
The official said Mr Bannon had been placed on the NSC originally as a check on Mr Flynn and had only ever attended one of the NSC's regular meetings.
The official dismissed questions about a power struggle between Mr Bannon and Mr McMaster, saying they shared the same world view.
However, two current national security officials rejected the White House explanation, noting that two months had passed since Mr Flynn's departure.
Mr McMaster, they said, speaking on the condition of anonymity, had also duelled with Mr Bannon and others over: direct access to Mr Trump; the future of deputy national security adviser KT McFarland, a former Fox News commentator; intelligence director Ezra Cohen-Watnick, a Flynn appointee; and other staffing decisions.
Mr Trump is preparing for his first face-to-face meeting on Thursday and Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping with the threat of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs a key component of their talks.
Reuters
Topics: donald-trump, world-politics, government-and-politics, defence-and-national-security, united-states
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