WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is expected to name John Hannah, a onetime aide to Vice-President Dick Cheney, as its next special representative for Syria, two people familiar with the decision said Wednesday. Hannah, who was Cheney’s national security adviser, also worked in the State Department during the Clinton and first Bush administrations. Most recently, Hannah has worked as a senior counsellor at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies. The Washington-based think-tank is close to the Trump administration and advocates hawkish policies on national security, and especially on Iran, whose growing influence in Syria has been a major concern for the United States and Israel. The Trump administration has cautioned against letting up until the extremist group is totally defeated.

Source: National Post February 14, 2018 22:15 UTC