Al-Itihad, UAE, July 27
The name of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo again came to the headlines in recent days, following a meeting he held with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang last week. Since entering office on April 26, exactly three months ago, Pompeo spent a considerable amount of time touring the world on various diplomatic missions. Two of his primary objectives have been the talks with Pyongyang on nuclear disarmament of the Korean Peninsula, as well as the U.S. decision to pull out of the Iranian nuclear deal. Pompeo is a sharp statesman. Not only did he graduate top of his class from both the U.S. Military Academy in West Point and Harvard Law School, he also held a wide range of remarkable leadership positions in both the public and private worlds. He served in the Army, in Congress and, eventually, as the head of the CIA. All of these experiences paved his path to the White House. And unlike his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, Pompeo understood Trump’s mindset extremely well from day one on the job. While Tillerson used sophisticated language and boasted his credentials to Trump, Pompeo knows how to convey information to the president in a persuasive and concise manner, without triggering the latter’s narcissism. White House officials have repeatedly cited Pompeo as one of Trump’s closest confidants. He has the right combination of book and street smarts, which are crucial traits to have in the Trump administration. All in all, figures like Pompeo provide reason for optimism. They are a clear source of positive influence on a president who lacks experience and understanding in many global affairs. Pompeo is a true Republican who has been a member of the GOP for several decades. He believes in American leadership and global domination, and does not shy away from using force to achieve his country’s foreign policy objectives. This fact has not gone unnoticed by the mullahs in Tehran who truly seem to fear Pomepo, as well as by Kim Jong-un, who treats the American delegation under Pompeo’s leadership with utter respect. This is the type of aides Trump would be wise to surround himself with: They are bright, humble, and, above all, loyal deputies who can translate his vision into real-world policy. –Ridwan al-Sayed