Breaking: Under SecDef for Policy John Rood asked to resign

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/19/politics/john-rood-pentagon-official-depart/index.html

By Jim Sciutto and Barbara Starr, CNN

Updated 7:37 AM ET, Wed February 19, 2020

(CNN)The Pentagon's top policy official is expected to depart his post soon, according to two sources familiar with the matter. John Rood, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon, lost support among senior national security leadership and has been asked for his resignation, one of the sources said.

Rood is the Pentagon's top policy official and oversees aspects of the Pentagon's relationship with US allies and partners. Rood was involved in certifying to Congress that Ukraine had embarked on significant reforms to justify its receipt of $250 million in security assistance. That certification undermined one of the justifications -- concerns about corruption in Kiev -- that some members of the Trump administration made to defend blocking aid to Ukraine.

Hours after Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which kicked off impeachment proceedings, Rood emailed Secretary of Defense Mark Esper -- who had been in the job two days -- informing him about an upcoming deputies meeting, "to discuss the President's concern about endemic corruption in Ukraine and his reported view that US should cease providing security assistance," according to emails reviewed by CNN.

Rood notes in his email to the secretary that "placing a hold on security assistance at this time would jeopardize this unique window of opportunity and undermine our defense priorities with a key partner in the strategic competition with Russia."

</snip>

Link to tweet

Jim Sciutto ✔@jimsciutto

Breaking: Pentagon’s top policy official is expected to depart his post soon. John Rood, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, has lost the support among senior national security leadership & has been asked for his resignation. - @barbarastarrcnn and I reporting.

7:23 AM - Feb 19, 2020

This is NOT good...

[Thomas Hurt]

1. ahh, won't swear fealty to King Donnie the Venal, I guess.

Trump must be up to something else stupid and corrupt we don't know about yet.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. This is pretty big

My money's on he refused to break the law, or nuke Tehran or something along those lines.

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Kick for new info

[babylonsister]

5. Apparently Rood justified the $ to Ukraine...

https://politicalwire.com/2020/02/19/top-pentagon-official-pushed-out/

Top Pentagon Official Pushed Out
February 19, 2020 at 7:58 am EST By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

“The Pentagon’s top policy official is expected to depart his post soon,” CNN reports.

“John Rood, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon, lost support among senior national security leadership and has been asked for his resignation… Rood is the Pentagon’s top policy official and oversees aspects of the Pentagon’s relationship with US allies and partners.”

“Rood was involved in certifying to Congress that Ukraine had embarked on significant reforms to justify its receipt of $250 million in security assistance. That certification undermined one of the justifications — concerns about corruption in Kiev — that some members of the Trump administration made to defend blocking aid to Ukraine.”

[Thomas Hurt]

7. Of course, that is the problem right there, he followed policy and the law, silly man.

Maybe they can get Blago to replace him.

[malaise]

11. Of course he did

This kakistocracy is out of control

[Mike 03]

4. Some of us believe Anonymous could be in the Pentagon.

Just sayin'.

[barbtries]

6. they're throwing a blanket over the administration.

we are in deep shit.

[Lonestarblue]

8. Trump's retaliation team still going strong.

Wil there be anyone left soon who has allegiance to the US and not to Trump? We have a very large number of political hacks running the federal government with fewer and fewer career folks who actually know what they're doing. We’re on a runaway train with no obvious way of stopping it.

How many voters are really paying attention, or if they do see articles like this fail to connect the dots because they just don’t have the time to focus the way many of us do? I’m truly worried about four more years of this insanity. We need Bloomberg to target some of his ads to how Trump-Barr are corrupting the entire government.

[gembaby1]

9. Yes and so they should!

They only accept crazy people.

[MFGsunny]

10. Way out of line for MF45 to do this. More ignorant, childish spite no doubt.

He was an R well trusted by SecDef Mattis who gave him responsibility for the NDS (National Defense Strategy). It would not be surprising to me at all if MF45 still nurses revenge dream shots at Mattis, including this personnel "change" even as Rood did exactly the right thing on Ukraine military aid!

[2naSalit]

12. So when are we going to shut these fucker down?

[lagomorph777]

13. November

It'll be a November to remember. If we show up.

Otherwise, all of history will be erased by the Ministry Of Truth.

[2naSalit]

14. That's too far away

and ten million crimes against the world by then. I'm just hoping that we make it to November at this point.

[lagomorph777]

15. I hear you. But it's what we have.

[2naSalit]

20. We have mass...

we may have no choice but to show our strength by mass protests, regularly. Look to the north, the indigenous folks have shut it down by way of protest. I think we will need to consider similar options in a strategic manner to make it known that we aren't playing along with the coup.

[58Sunliner]

27. Agreed.

[dalton99a]

16. The loyalty purge continues apace

[IronLionZion]

17. Mob boss eliminating his enemies

[ancianita]

18. Next time when IF45 uses illegal quid pro quo to suborn a foreign country's help, there won't

be any silly military Rood guy around to contradict his use of military funds.

This is his settling into control of military funding as (CiC) military dictator, tool of not just Putin, but Deutsche Bank Nazis.

Thanks, Moscow Mitch. It takes a village.

No wonder Bloomberg is jumping in to get this Nazi tool out.

[DENVERPOPS]

22. Makes you wonder

What Trump is scheming up to go after Bloomberg for daring to call him out on his multitude of shit.......

[ancianita]

24. Makes you wonder just what Bloomberg might pull out of his hat to blast IF45 with,

is the way I prefer to look at it.

There might really be more behind why Perez broke party rules to let Bloomberg in. We'll find out later.

[karin_sj]

19. Can't have anyone trying to do the right thing...

Anyone who attempts it must be sought out and removed so that the corruption and malfeasance can continue without interference or delay. Criminals run our country now and they're doing their best to root out anyone who might stop them or shed light on their activities.

[TeamPooka]

21. Trump Rules: Follow the law, lose your job.

[pangaia]

23. The purge conmtinues

guess this is what trump meant by draining the swamp...

[vlyons]

25. Putin is thrilled

nt

[DENVERPOPS]

26. And laughing his ass off

at how easily he turned the U.S. upside down and sideways.........without ever firing a single missile, he has totally trashed America and he will continue to do so as long as any and all Republicans are in power.........He knew first and foremost that all of them are extremely greedy and he capitalized on that one thing (money) to take control of them all, (especially Trump and Mitch......)

[Frustratedlady]

28. Now that Rachel doesn't pin these resignations/firings to her wall, is there anywhere we can get a

number of the people who have left this administration in one way or another? I don't mean those who just quit for personal reasons, but those who either were forced out or fired.

That number has to be a record.