Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 20 February 2020

a vendetta in the wake of to have the team that he
his acquittal. Just days after wants to have in policy
the Senate vote, the White positions," Hoffman said at
House reassigned an Army news conference. He said
officer, Lt. Col. Alex Vind- Rood's resignation letter
man, a key witness in the spoke for itself.
impeachment inquiry, from Rood last year told report-
the National Security Coun- ers that, "In the weeks af-
cil, and pushed his twin ter signing the certification
brother, an NSC lawyer, I did become aware that
out with him. Gordon Sond- the aid had been held. I
land, Trump's ambassador never received a very clear
to the European Union who explanation other than
also was a key witness be- there were concerns about
fore House investigators, corruption in Ukraine." He
was recalled from his post. also spoke in favor of re-
Trump tweeted Wednes- leasing the aid, suggesting
day that he wanted to that withholding it would
"thank John Rood for his hurt America's defense pri-
service to our Country, and orities.
wish him well in his future Pentagon press secretary
In this Feb. 7, 2008 file photo, John Rood, then U.S. Under Secretary for Arms Control and Inter-
national Security, answers questions from the media during a press conference at the Cernin's endeavors!" Alyssa Farah said James
Palace in Prague, Czech Republic. Rood, in his letter to Trump, Anderson, who is currently
Associated Press did not mention Ukraine. serving as the deputy for
``It's my understanding policy, will take over the job
Continued from front be purged. His forced res- crats on the Hill express from Secretary (Mark) Esper until a permanent replace-
Rood is the latest official to ignation comes as Demo- concerns that Trump is on that you requested my res- ment is appointed by the
ignation," Rood said. Rood President and confirmed.
said he will step down as of Esper said Rood played "a
Feb. 28. critical role'' on issues such
Rood wrote in a May 23 as nuclear deterrence,
letter to Congress that the NATO, missile defense and
Pentagon had made a the National Defense Strat-
thorough assessment of egy.
Ukraine's anti-corruption Rood has served as under-
actions and other reforms. secretary for policy since
And he said that, "I have January 2018, but also had
certified that the govern- worked in various govern-
ment of Ukraine has taken ment agencies including
substantial actions to make the State Department, the
defense institutional reforms CIA and the NSC for more
for the purpose of decreas- than 20 years. He held se-
ing corruption" and making nior policy jobs mainly dur-
other improvements." ing Republican administra-
Rood wrote that his certi- tions and also served as a
fication, legally required senior policy adviser to Sen.
before the aid could be Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
released, was based on Rood also was a senior
insights gained in "persis- vice president at Lockheed
tent U.S. engagement" with Martin International.q
Ukraine, including meetings
between the U.S. defense
secretary and his Ukrainian
counterpart.
Asked about Rood's res-
ignation, chief Pentagon
spokesman Jonathan Hoff-
man declined to speculate
on the reason for Trump's
decision.
"The president has the op-
portunity and the ability