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Trump with Robert O'Brien. Evan Vucci/PA Images

Trump announces latest national security advisor, says he'll 'do a great job'

Robert O’Brien, 53, has until now served as Trump’s envoy for situations involving US hostages abroad.

US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump on Wednesday named his new national security advisor, with hostage negotiator Robert O’Brien becoming the fourth person to take the role during the current administration.

Trump made the announcement by Twitter and later appeared with O’Brien in front of reporters while traveling in California, where he said his new foreign policy aide was “highly respected”.

Last week, Trump abruptly fired John Bolton, whose instincts for an aggressive, interventionist foreign policy were at odds with the president’s more isolationist stance.

O’Brien, 53, has until now served as Trump’s envoy for situations involving US hostages abroad.

He comes into the new job with backing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior Republicans in Congress.

Bolton, by contrast, was a highly controversial figure in Washington.

Bolton “wasn’t getting along with people in the administration who I consider very important” and “wasn’t in line with what we were doing,” Trump said.

O’Brien does not appear to have that problem, for now.

“I think we have a very good chemistry together,” Trump said.

He arrives just as Trump is coming under pressure from some in Washington to go to war with Iran in retaliation for an attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia last weekend that has been blamed on Tehran.

Moments before naming O’Brien as his new advisor, Trump announced he was ordering “substantially” increased sanctions against Iran, which is already buckling under US economic pressure.

Hard edge

A longtime lawyer and foreign policy advisor to Republicans, O’Brien has become one of Trump’s favorites for his work on behalf of Americans held prisoner in far-flung places including North Korea and Turkey.

Trump said his work had been “unparalleled” and “tremendous”.

While such cases are termed “hostages” by Trump, this is not always the case. In the most unusual episode, O’Brien was dispatched to US ally Sweden to attend the trial of US rapper ASAP Rocky, who was accused of assault.

In his 2016 book “While America Slept,” O’Brien criticised what he called then outgoing president Barack Obama’s attempt to present a more collaborative, dovish United States.

This meant “autocrats, tyrants, and terrorists were emboldened,” he argued.

“In the face of rising challenges around the world, it is time to return to a national security policy based on ‘peace through strength,’” he wrote.

“A strong America will be a nation that our allies will trust and our adversaries will not dare test.”

O’Brien will find a stacked in-tray waiting for him at the White House, with Iran at the top of the pile.

While there are loud voices in Washington calling for the bombing of Iran following the Saudi oil facility strikes, Trump’s instinct so far has been to resist expanding US foreign military entanglements.

Another pressing item for Trump is Afghanistan, where he has repeatedly said he wants to wind down the two-decade US military presence.

Peace talks with the Taliban and a surprise planned meeting between the insurgents and Trump himself, something apparently opposed by Bolton, were scrapped earlier this month.

Other foreign policy headaches include the huge trade war with China and fears of a new arms race with Russia.

With reporting from Seán Murray

- © AFP 2019

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    Mute Kevin Conway
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    Sep 19th 2019, 7:29 AM

    Great job…. yawn… if trump was an employee of trump… he would have fired himself years ago.

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    Mute Paul Lanigan
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    Sep 19th 2019, 7:40 AM

    He hires the best people and he’s a stable genius

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    Mute Mairead1990
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    Sep 19th 2019, 7:51 AM

    @Paul Lanigan: ‘Previous work experience: served for 8 weeks under President Trump’

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    Mute lambda sensor
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    Sep 19th 2019, 7:30 AM

    Ya gotta wish this guy the best… enjoy the positive coverage from Trump while it lasts!

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 19th 2019, 8:33 AM

    @lambda sensor: how is this positive?

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    Sep 19th 2019, 10:31 AM

    @Paul Furey: I was referring to the positive vibes from Trump. We know when he gets dumped he will be the thickest eejit Trump ever set eyes on…. so enjoy the positives while he can.

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    Mute Keith O'Reilly
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    Sep 19th 2019, 8:11 AM

    He’s a good guy now until he annoys Trump somehow and gets fired, then he’s the worst person in the world!

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    Mute Mairead1990
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    Sep 19th 2019, 7:40 AM

    It’s getting boring now, like gammon on hooks rotating through a factory.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Sep 19th 2019, 8:20 AM

    They all do a “great job” for a while…..

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 19th 2019, 8:32 AM

    Seeing as everybody here seems to be too caught up in their own petty ego’s, let me remind you that the President is keeping the US out of a war that I’m sure nobody here wants. Meanwhile the NeoCons and dems are dying for Trump to kick off a new war.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 19th 2019, 8:35 AM

    @Burn_the_Witch: what are you on? That man wants a war and is looking for one….anywhere! Open your eyes and have a look around you.

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    Mute Patricia Mcnamara
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    Sep 19th 2019, 8:59 AM

    @Burn_the_Witch: YOU are so funny

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 19th 2019, 9:42 AM

    @Paul Furey@patriciaMcNamara: All you have to do is look at the evidence staring you in the face. Whatever about you Paul, a woman who has been around as long as yourself Patricia should have heard the saying ‘Eyes are useless, if the mind is blind’. The evidence we have is that Trump campaigned on not starting any new wars and he has kept his promise. He has had multiple occasions where he could have started fresh wars such as N.Korea and now Iran, where a Bush or an Obama or Clinton most likely would have followed the NeoCon war hawks down the path of war and yet he has refused. In fact he fired Bolton, his war monger in chief. So to say that he is “looking for a war…anywhere” is just showing a complete lack of understanding of this situation. But that doesn’t surprise me with you two.

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 19th 2019, 9:50 AM

    @Paul Furey: And Paul, seeing as you asked, I opened my eyes and had a good look around me to see if I could find any of these wars that Trump has started. Not seeing any. Care to fill me in. You’d think they’d report on these wars seeing as the media despise him as much as you, but no, the only headlines I’m seeing are Trump fighting with Lyndsey Graham and the NeoCons about withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and Syria. How very strange. Say hi to the rest of the folks over in that parallel universe that you seem to reside in.

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    Mute Dave Thomas
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    Sep 19th 2019, 10:19 AM

    @Burn_the_Witch: that’s only because he’s afraid of starting a war. Trumps a coward.

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 19th 2019, 10:32 AM

    @Dave Thomas: I’m embarrassed for you, you’re making yourself look dumber than the angry children’s clown above. I’m not even going to get into it with you as it appears all this is a little complicated for you. Too many people working off pure emotion here.

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    Sep 19th 2019, 5:03 PM

    @Burn_the_Witch: whats wrong? Truth hurts?

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Sep 19th 2019, 6:34 PM

    @Dave Thomas: Yeah that’s it. It really upsets me he’s such a coward taking on the deep state war mongers and their allies in the Fed. But admittedly it upsets me a wee dram more that so many on here actually believe he’s looking out across the world searching for war wherever he goes, when quite obviously the opposite is true. Maybe you can help me out with this mystery. Why do people feel he’s a war hawk like his recent predecessors? I have a fair idea myself, but I’d like to know why someone like yourself feels that way. Maybe you dont feel that way yourself, so apologies in advance if you don’t.

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    Mute Diarmaid O'Riordáin
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    Sep 19th 2019, 10:16 AM

    A really really great job, the greatest job. Clown.

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    Mute John Walsh
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    Sep 19th 2019, 1:33 PM

    He’s got “a big brain and knows the best words “

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    Mute Patricia Mcnamara
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    Sep 19th 2019, 8:58 AM

    Many O Brien will.remember he comes from a land of emmigrants
    Doubt it

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    Mute Nathan Carr
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    Sep 19th 2019, 10:20 AM

    Tremendous!

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