One of US President Donald Trump’s top advisers on the Middle East has been fired.
Two administration officials with knowledge of the decision said Derek Harvey was fired Thursday for unknown reasons. They were not authorized to discuss private personnel issues and spoke on condition of anonymity
The White House would not say whether Harvey was fired, but confirmed he will no longer serve as the top Middle East adviser.
A statement said National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster “greatly appreciates Derek Harvey’s service to his country as a career army officer” and that “the administration is working with Colonel Harvey to identify positions in which his background and expertise can be best utilized.”
Harvey was hired by Trump’s former national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
In recent months Harvey had complained in private about his waning influence as he wrestled with competing US interests in Syria and elsewhere.
Hawkish on Iran — thanks to experience countering Shiite militias in Iraq — he also viewed the fight against the Islamic State terror group as a key US priority.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
