Trump picks CIA director, new ambassador to Israel

(CLO) US President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he has chosen former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Mr. Ratcliffe took over as Director of National Intelligence at the end of Mr. Trump's first term, specifically in May 2020, eight months before Mr. Trump left office.

Mr Ratcliffe has been accused by Democrats and former intelligence officials of declassifying intelligence that Mr Trump and his Republican allies used to attack political opponents, including Mr Joe Biden, during the then-presidential election, an allegation Mr Ratcliffe's office has denied.

Former US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe. Photo: Reuters

Also on Tuesday, Mr. Trump announced that he would nominate former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. Mr. Huckabee is considered to have pro-Israel views, which could signal future U.S. policy toward conflicts in the Middle East.

“There is no such thing as occupation,” Mr. Huckabee said in a 2017 interview with CNN, in which he referred to the West Bank by its biblical names of Judea and Samaria.

Mr Trump's nomination announcement was met with immediate praise from senior Israeli officials but is likely to be criticised by Palestinians.

"He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring peace to the Middle East!" Trump said in a statement.

Mr Huckabee, 69, will take on one of Washington's most sensitive diplomatic posts at a time when Israel is battling the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, as well as tensions with Iran.

Mr. Huckabee criticized President Joe Biden for pressuring Israel to refrain from war in Gaza and opposing the current Democratic administration's call for a ceasefire there.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-trump-chon-giam-doc-cia-dai-su-moi-tai-israel-post321099.html