Trump said in a post on Twitter on Friday he was weighing four potential candidates for national security advisor. Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who currently is chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, stepped into the national security adviser role on an acting basis after Flynn's firing. NBC News reported two other retired military officers were also under consideration: General James Jones, former supreme allied commander in Europe who served as national security adviser to Obama from 2009 to 2010; and General Keith Alexander, former US National Security Agency chief. Flynn, a close adviser to Trump during his presidential campaign last year, was seen by Moscow as a leading advocate of friendlier ties with Russia. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Flynn told FBI agents last month that he had not discussed sanctions against Russia with the ambassador before Trump took office.

Source: bd News24 February 17, 2017 17:05 UTC