Michael Flynn, the man who described Islam as a cancer, resigned on Monday as Trump’s National Security Adviser.
Given Flynn’s unabashed promotion of anti-Muslim feeling, it is hard to imagine anyone much worse for the Middle East. But can the Arab world, and US Muslims, afford to be relaxed with regard to his temporary successor, Keith Kellogg?
A retired general, Kellogg served as chief operating officer for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), which oversaw Iraq’s government for more than a year following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
“I’m the guy who’s supposed to make the trains run on time,” he told The Los Angeles Times in 2003 of his role in the organization.
The CPA governed Iraq across a year filled errors with regard to political transition, which continued to haunt the nation across the following years of conflict.
In fact, Kellogg’s involvement in the Iraq war marks a stark contrast to President Trump’s claims (only after the invasion had taken place, despite his suggestions otherwise) that the war was a total disaster.
Trump himself told Esquire in 2004: "Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we're in. I would never have handled it that way.”
“Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the county? C'mon."
Away from his past Middle East involvement, Kellogg’s tweets since appointment certainly seem to be in line with Trump’s inaugural speech pledge to “eliminate radical Islamic terrorism”.
America is under constant threats from a radical and violent form of the Islamic religion. It's irresponsible and dangerous to deny it.
— Gen. Keith Kellogg (@GenKeithKellogg) February 15, 2017
And the tone of his social media posts appears to place him squarely in support of such policies as Trump’s executive order on immigration, which temporarily banned all visitors from seven Muslim-majority nations.
One issue that we have to confront is illegal immigration, because this affects our economy, our health care, and our national security.
— Gen. Keith Kellogg (@GenKeithKellogg) February 15, 2017
That having been said, Kellogg thankfully has, unlike his predecessor, so far managed to restrain himself from tweeting such sentiments as “fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.”
Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions... https://t.co/NLIfKFD9lU
— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 27, 2016
Equally, we have not yet heard Kellogg describing Islam as “a political ideology that hides itself behind what they call a religion” - that much cannot be said for Flynn.
#Trump Choice for National Security Adviser Michael Flynn: Islam is a political ideology that hides itself behind what they call a religion. pic.twitter.com/5hqaSem7Dq
— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) November 18, 2016
Until now, Kellogg has even managed to avoid echoing Flynn’s suggestion that “Arab and Persian world leaders… [must] declare their Islamic ideology sick.”
In next 24 hours, I dare Arab & Persian world "leaders" to step up to the plate and declare their Islamic ideology sick and must B healed.
— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) July 15, 2016
As a representative of Trump’s government, Kellogg is unlikely to be a friend to Muslims. After all, the new President has previously suggested that “Islam hates us” and is currently fighting tooth and nail to reinstate his so-called “Muslim ban”.
Still, whatever Kellogg might do, we cannot help but say “good riddance” to Michael Flynn. One Islamophobe in Trump’s administration down, many, many more to go.
RA
