The right man

Well, that was a surprise. Donald Trump has got it right at last. The appointment of Lieutenant-General Herbert "HR" McMaster as the National Security Adviser to replace the disgraced Michael Flynn is a smart move by the billionaire property and casino magnate who never served one day in military uniform for his country. General McMaster has the right stuff to head the National Security Council. He won't kowtow to anyone, least of all, I hope, Trump's man in the NSC, Steve Bannon. McMaster is a tough guy but also totally honourable in the old-fashioned sense of the word. He knows what's right and sticks by his values and principles. For example, he made sure when he was a commander in Iraq that all prisoners were properly and humanely treated. Maybe a small point, but I predict that McMaster, in his new role, will vociferously oppose any move by Trump to revert to using torture against suspected terrorist detainees. McMaster will want to have his own staff around him in the NSC and this could lead to trouble, particularly with Bannon, who has his own ideas about the sort of individuals he would prefer sitting in the NSC. When Flynn departed there were still about 60 appointments out of 230 unfilled, and that was partly because of reluctance among serving CIA intelligence officers and State Department officials to join the NSC under Trump/Bannon. If McMaster can bring in his own men and women, then there's a sporting chance he will survive longer than the three months some of his friends were giving him last night. McMaster has a superior brain, he's a former protege of General David Petraeus who has welcomed his appointment as national security adviser, and is a highly respected strategist. So well done, Trump, you've chosen the right man. I never thought I would say that.