Le général Joseph Dunford Jr: une présence militaire rassurante à Washington

De plus en plus Donald Trump tend à recruter des conseillers qui lui sont d'abord loyaux avant d'être compétents. Si on comprend bien que l'exécutif souhaite collaborer avec des gens qui contribuent à la mise en oeuvre de lignes directrices, il faudrait bien évidemment que ce ne soit pas le seul critère. Y-a-t'il encore dans l'entourage du président un conseiller apolitique dont la feuille de route serait éloquente? Le général Joseph Dunford Jr est l'actuel chef d'État-Major et il conseille régulièrement la Maison Blanche. Les commentaires à son endroit sont élogieux et les Américains devraient être rassurés par sa présence. Dunford quitte bientôt et il serait souhaitable que son successeur s'inspire de son approche.

 "In the ceaseless turmoil of the Trump administration, Dunford has been a steady hand who helped insulate national security policy from disruption and political pressure. His Pentagon colleagues say he will be keenly missed — several described him as the best chairman in recent decades — and they are hoping Gen. Mark Milley, his successor, can sustain the independence and cool judgment that defined Dunford’s tenure.

Dunford doesn’t like talking about his relationship with the White House. The closest he has come was probably a Pentagon news briefing last month: “I’ve worked very hard to remain apolitical and not make political judgments. . . . I work very hard to provide military advice . . . and make sure that our men and women in uniform have the wherewithal to do their job.”

“Joe Dunford is a man for all seasons,” says Jim Mattis, the former defense secretary and a fellow Marine. “Joe has a quiet mind, not easily distracted; he quantifies things, but he brings in the nonquantifiable. Still waters run deep in him. You simply can’t shake his faith in his fundamental values.”

Mattis cites two combat anecdotes to explain Dunford’s unflappable style. In March 2003, on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, Mattis told Dunford that because of a last-minute change of plans, his regiment had to move out in five hours, rather than at dawn the next morning. “He just took it in stride,” says Mattis."

https://beta.washingtonpost.com/opinions/joseph-dunfords-steady-hand-in-the-turmoil-of-trumps-washington/2019/09/12/695021f4-d574-11e9-9610-fb56c5522e1c_story.html