【中美创新时报2024 年 11 月 12 日编译讯】（记者温友平编译）当选总统唐纳德·特朗普周二宣布，他将提名前国家情报局局长约翰·拉特克利夫领导中央情报局。他还表示，他已选择前阿肯色州州长迈克·哈克比担任驻以色列大使，并选择他的老朋友史蒂文·威特科夫担任中东特使。美联社记者ZEKE MILLER 和 MICHELLE L. Price 对此作了下述报道。
在一系列公告中，特朗普还任命了第一届政府的内阁部长比尔·麦金利 (Bill McGinley) 为白宫法律顾问。
特朗普正在为即将上任的政府推出一系列任命和提名人选，到目前为止，他们的工作节奏更快，而且没有像 2016 年胜选后的第一次过渡那样戏剧性。
拉特克利夫曾是德克萨斯州的共和党众议员，在特朗普第一任期的最后几个月担任国家情报局局长，在新冠疫情期间领导美国政府的间谍机构。与特朗普支持者推举的一些传闻中的忠诚派相比，他是这个需要参议院批准的职位更传统的人选。
哈克比是坚定的以色列捍卫者，特朗普承诺将美国外交政策与以色列的利益更紧密地结合起来，因为以色列正在与加沙的哈马斯和黎巴嫩的真主党作战。哈克比有意提名他，正值以色列与加沙的哈马斯和黎巴嫩的真主党作战之际。威特科夫是佛罗里达州的一名房地产投资者，目前担任特朗普就职委员会主席。他还曾在纽约房地产界工作过一段时间，特朗普正是在这里首次以公众人物的身份崭露头角。
作为情报局局长，他在 2020 年总统大选的最后几天解密了俄罗斯情报，指控其在 2016 年大选中对民主党人不利的信息，尽管他承认这可能不是真的，但民主党人批评了他。
拉特克利夫在 2019 年众议院首次对特朗普进行弹劾程序期间，成为特朗普的坚定捍卫者，他的知名度随之上升。他是特朗普弹劾顾问团队的成员，并在弹劾听证会期间严厉质询证人。
在民主党控制的众议院投票弹劾特朗普后，拉特克利夫表示：“这是我们国家有史以来最薄弱、最快、最无力的弹劾。”他还对前特别检察官罗伯特·穆勒在众议院司法委员会作证时就俄罗斯干预 2016 年大选一事进行了有力质询。
“我期待约翰成为有史以来第一位同时担任我们国家最高情报职位的人，”特朗普在一份声明中说。“他将为所有美国人的宪法权利而无畏奋斗，同时确保最高级别的国家安全，并通过实力实现和平。”
多年来，哈克比一直带领付费旅游团访问以色列，并经常在保守派新闻媒体上宣传这些旅行。
“多年来，迈克一直是一位出色的公务员、州长和宗教领袖，”特朗普在一份声明中说。“他爱以色列，以色列人民也爱他。迈克将不懈努力，实现中东和平！”
曾在特朗普第一任期内担任驻以色列大使的戴维·弗里德曼表示，他对特朗普选择哈克比感到“激动”。
威特科夫也是这位当选总统的高尔夫球友，9 月，在佛罗里达州西棕榈滩的高尔夫俱乐部，特朗普第二次遭到暗杀时，威特科夫一直陪伴在身边。
特朗普的过渡团队没有透露有关中东特使角色的细节，但特朗普在一份声明中表示，“史蒂夫将坚定不移地为和平发声，让我们所有人都感到自豪。”
选择威特科夫遵循了特朗普的一贯做法，即让亲近的人担任中东事务的关键角色。八年前，他任命前公司律师杰森·格林巴尔特 (Jason Greenbaltt) 为国际谈判特别代表，并依靠女婿贾里德·库什纳 (Jared Kushner) 作为他在该地区谈判中的个人特使。
题图：前国家情报局局长约翰·拉特克利夫于 2023 年 4 月 18 日在华盛顿国会山的听证会上作证。Manuel Balce Ceneta/美联社
附原英文报道：
Trump picks ex-DNI John Ratcliffe to lead CIA, former Arkansas Governor Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel
By ZEKE MILLER and MICHELLE L. Price The Associated Press,Updated November 12, 2024
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, testifies before a hearing April 18, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is nominating former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. He also said he had chosen former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel and his longtime friend Steven Witkoff to be a special envoy to the Middle East.
In a flurry of announcements, Trump also named Bill McGinley, his Cabinet secretary in his first administration, as his White House counsel.
Trump is rolling out a steady stream of appointees and nominees for his upcoming administration, working thus far at a faster pace and without as much drama as his first transition following his 2016 victory.
A former Republican congressman from Texas, Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence for the final months of Trump’s first term, leading the U.S. government’s spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. He is a more traditional pick for the role, which requires Senate confirmation, than some rumored loyalists pushed by some of Trump’s supporters.
Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel, and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel’s interests as it wages wars against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Witkoff is a Florida real estate investor who is serving as a chair of Trump’s inaugural committee. He also spent time in the world of New York real estate, where Trump first made his mark as a public figure.
As intelligence director, he was criticized by Democrats for declassifying in the final days of the 2020 presidential election Russian intelligence alleging damaging information about Democrats during the 2016 race even though he acknowledged it might not be true.
Ratcliffe’s visibility rose as he emerged in 2019 as an ardent defender of Trump during the House’s first impeachment proceedings against him. He was a member of Trump’s impeachment advisory team and strenuously questioned witnesses during the impeachment hearings.
After the Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump, Ratcliffe said: “This is the thinnest, fastest and weakest impeachment our country has ever seen.” He also forcefully questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller when he testified before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
Huckabee has led paid tour group visits to Israel for years, frequently advertising the trips on conservative-leaning news outlets.
“Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years,” Trump said in a statement. “He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
David Friedman, who served as Trump’s ambassador to Israel in his first term, said he was “thrilled” by Trump’s selection of Huckabee.
Witkoff is also the president-elect’s golf partner and was with him when he was the target of a second assassination attempt at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September.
Trump’s transition team did not offer details about the Middle East envoy role, but Trump, in a statement said, “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud.”
The selection of Witkoff follows a pattern for Trump in putting people close to him in pivotal roles on the Middle East portfolio. Eight years ago he appointed his former corporate attorney Jason Greenbaltt as his special representative for international negotiations and relied on his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as his personal envoy in talks in the region.
