[Photo] Leading hawk takes over as Trump’s National Security Advisor

John Bolton, a US Ambassador to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration, has been selected to replace H.R. McMaster as US President Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor. The White House made the announcement on Mar. 22. Bolton is a leading voice for the aggressive use of US military power and was a strong proponent of invading Iraq in 2003, a decision which Trump himself repeatedly “stupid” and a “mistake” during the 2016 presidential campaign. Less than one month ago, Bolton wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal month titled, “The Legal Case for Striking North Korea First,” and has also advocated bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities. He is a frequent commentator on Fox News.

Bolton will join Trump’s national security team during a time of preparation for a potential summit with North Korea.

Bolton has long been a controversial figure in the US foreign policy establishment. Prior to his appointment as ambassador to the UN, he had said that, “if the UN building lost 10 storeys, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.” The Republican-controlled Senate denied his original confirmation in 2005 after testimony indicated that Bolton had bullied subordinates and tried to intimidate intelligence analysts into changing their conclusions to fit government policy. As a result, Bush was forced to appoint him during a Congressional recess. Bolton will be Trump’s third National Security Advisor since he took office, following McMaster and Michael Flynn, who recently pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators regarding his conversations with members of the Russian government. The NSA position does not require Senate approval.