Acting Sec. of Defense Shanahan quits, replaced by Army's Mark Esper

RT
Tue, 18 Jun 2019 17:21 UTC

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Army Secretary Mark Esper • Former Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has withdrawn from consideration to head the Pentagon, President Donald Trump has said, announcing that the current Secretary of the Army Mark Esper will become the new acting secretary.

The abrupt move was announced Tuesday by the US president on Twitter, his social media platform of choice. Shanahan's decision was explained by his desire to "devote more time to his family," according to Trump.

Shanahan's decision has been reportedly triggered by the background check process, that comes as a part of the confirmation for the Pentagon chief office. Earlier on Tuesday, US media reported that the FBI had been investigating a 2010 domestic fight between Shanahan and his then-wife.

Both of them accused each other of starting the fight, yet Shanahan has always maintained he never hit his former spouse, reiterating it once again in a statement issued shortly before Trump's tweet.

"I believe my continuing in the confirmation process would force my three children to relive a traumatic chapter in our family's life and reopen wounds we have worked years to heal. Ultimately, their safety and well-being is my highest priority," Shanahan said in a statement explaining his decision.

Esper has served as Army secretary since 2017. Prior to that, he was vice president of government relations at Raytheon, a major defense contractor that manufactures guided missiles and electronics. He was recognized as a top corporate lobbyist by the Hill in 2015 and 2016.

Prior to his appointment to the Pentagon, Shanahan was an executive at Boeing's helicopter division, also a major military contractor.

Comment: More on this switch-up from Moon of Alabama:

On May 9 the White House announced that it would nominate Shanahan for the Secretary of Defense position. But it never sent the nomination request to Congress to have Shanahan confirmed. During the usual FBI background check before a confirmation, a 2010 domestic violence incident Shanahan was involved in came up. It seems that it now ended his short career at the Pentagon.

Shanahan had zero experience in the military. He is a former Boeing manager. A recent Politico portrait of Shanahan described him as weak leader who allowed the war hawks in National Security Council to directly talk with regional commanders without even informing him. He was no counterweight for Bolton and Pompeo who are eager to wage war on Iran.

Yesterday ABC News reported that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would meet with talk with the Central Command and Special Operations Command leaders without Shanahan being there. It was extremely unusual:

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Florida on Monday to meet with leaders from U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command on Tuesday. The U.S. is considering "all options," including military force, to respond to Iran's reported attack on two oil vessels, Pompeo said on Sunday, raising concerns of a U.S. strike.
...
Pompeo will meet with CENTCOM and Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida on Tuesday to "discuss regional security concerns and ongoing operations," according to Ortagus, after calling several world leaders over the weekend to discuss America's evidence that Iran was behind last week's attacks.

There is no information what plans those talks were about.

Another very unusual sign is that the old war criminal Henry Kissinger visited the Pentagon yesterday and today.

It is unlikely that the U.S. would launch a war without a Secretary of Defense in place. Bolton and Pompeo obviously want a war on Iran and they try their best to instigate it. They need a new SecDef in place as soon as possible.

See also: FBI examining 2010 domestic fight involving acting defense secretary Shanahan; accounts differ on aggressor