Trump Offers Controversial Flynn NSA Post

American President-elect Donald Trump has offered his campaign adviser, Michael Flynn the position of National Security Adviser.

According to media reports in the US, Trump officials are touting the controversial former general Flynn for the influential influential post.

Flynn, 57 is a highly respected and decorated military intelligence officer. He helped combat insurgent networks in Afghanistan and Iraq. He later generated widespread criticism for his strident backing of the Republican’s campaign.

Flynn served as Trump’s leading adviser on national security issues during the campaign. He was a highly visible surrogate with a hard-line stance on radical Islam.

The Man, Flynn

Flynn left the military after President Barack Obama fired him from his post as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. This was following complaints about his leadership style.

He became a vocal critic of Obama. He blamed his sacking on the administration’s unwillingness to listen to his warnings about the threat from radical Islam.

The General also prompted criticism for his view that Islamist militants pose global civilization an existential threat. He said the world has fallen into a struggle between “centrist nationalists” and “socialists.

His stance aligned with that of Trump. Trump has called for banning all Muslim visitors to the United States. Also, he advocated that Muslims in the United States be registered, subjected to loyalty tests and even deported.

His view on denunciation of the war in Iraq among others have alienated many of his former military colleagues.

As Trump’s campaign adviser, Flynn led chants of “Lock her up!” against Hillary Clinton during campaign rallies. He also fired off numerous tweets excoriating the Democratic candidate. He apologized for one that appeared to be anti-Semitic.

However, his appointment would face opposition because he failed to reject Trump’s support for waterboarding and other torture against suspects. Also, was Trump’s call to kill extremists’ family members.

He was also criticized for traveling to Moscow last year, when he sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gala for the state-run television propaganda channel RT. He was paid for the trip, according to the Washington post.

However, the controversy surrounding Flynn’s possible appointment may matter little to Trump because it would not require confirmation in the Senate, unlike other key cabinet posts.

The NSA

As national security adviser, he would provide one of the most influential voices on foreign policy as well as some of the most pressing security issues facing the country, including the battle against the Islamic State group, China’s rising challenge in the South China Sea and elsewhere, and opposition from Russia.

His role would probably be even more influential than his predecessors. This is as a result of Trump’s near-total lack of experience in national security matters. Flynn would serve as the administration’s main contact with the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence agencies, overseeing a staff of around 400 people.

However, it was not immediately clear whether Flynn had accepted the offer to become what many believe to be the country’s top national security official.