Big news from the West Wing: Mark Lippert, one of President Obama’s closest foreign-policy advisers, is leaving to rejoin the Navy. Lippert, who is deputy national-security adviser and chief of staff of the National Security Council, has worked for Obama since his first days in the Senate and later advised him during the campaign. Perhaps no one on the foreign-policy team, save for fellow campaign vet and top NSC aide Denis McDonough, is closer to Obama—a situation that has sometimes raised questions about the relationship between Obama and Lippert’s direct boss, national-security adviser Jim Jones. At the height of the 2008 Democratic primary, Lippert, who is a member of the Naval Reserve, was deployed to Iraq but returned to advise Obama and ultimately accepted a top post in the administration. According to a White House official, Lippert is taking “leave” to rejoin the military as a Navy SEAL—though there’s no indication when he’ll return. It’s an admirable career move, but it will no doubt raise questions about the timing—after all, with Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, Obama’s foreign-policy decisions aren’t getting any easier. McDonough, who handles “strategic communications” for the NSC, is viewed by many as Lippert’s likely successor.
UPDATE, 12:25 PM: And here's the official announcement from the White House:
The White House today announced that Deputy National Security Director and National Security Council chief of staff Mark Lippert will be returning to active duty in the U.S. Navy. Denis McDonough will remain Deputy National Security Advisor and assume the role of chief of staff to the National Security Council. Ben Rhodes will assume the role of Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications. Nate Tibbits will be the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council.
“I will miss Mark and his counsel, his excellent work at the NSC, and his good cheer. At the same time, I was not surprised when he came and told me he had stepped forward for another mobilization, as Mark is passionate about the Navy. I support his decision. He is a close friend, and I admire and respect his devotion to our country and answering the call to active duty service. He will always have a senior foreign policy position in this White House, when he chooses to return to civilian life," President Obama said.
General Jones said, “Mark has been vital to building a strong and revitalized National Security Council, ready to address the myriad challenges we face in the 21st century. I’m confident that Mark will continue to serve his nation in the United States Navy with the same commitment and sense of patriotism that we benefited from here in the White House. I congratulate him on this new post.”
