The rise of Trump’s new pro-Israel and anti-Iran intel director – analysis
Richard Grenell took the lead in Europe by highlighting Iran’s genocidal antisemitism targeting Israel.
By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL
|FEBRUARY 21, 2020
US President Donald Trump’s Wednesday appointment of Richard Grenell, the American ambassador to Germany, to acting director of national intelligence should not ambush foreign policy specialists.
Grenell’s meteoric rise within the US government was based on high-intensity diligence, tough diplomacy and a rapid –fire analytical assimilation of vast amounts of data to bring about brilliant policy-making changes. This troika marked his tenure as ambassador to Germany since 2018.
Just this week, Grenell tweeted that “I’ve watched as Germany has ignored long-standing US requests on NATO spending, NS2 [Nord Stream 2], a Hezbollah ban, the return of a Nazi guard, etc. Happy to debate the tactics of our shared goal – anytime. Our style is working.”
Grenell has pushed Germany to meet its NATO requirement to increase its military budget and exerted pressure on Germany not to create dependency on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas system. Germany has drifted away from Western values over the years.
The ambassador cajoled and twisted arms in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to secure her country’s acceptance of the Nazi camp guard Jakiw Palij from Queens, New York, to Germany.
