Vice Admiral John Poindexter, who President Reagan named last week to replace Robert McFarlane as his National Security Advisor, does not have a public record as to his views on the Middle East or other foreign policy issues.
Jewish source here did not know too much about him. But they hoped that he would be like McFarlane who one source described as a “pillar of strength” when it came to Israel. McFarlane was credited with working out the strategic alliance between Israel and the United States which one source said would be his “legacy.”
The hope of supporters of Israel is based on the fact that the 49-year-old Poindexter, who has been on the National Security Council since 1981, was McFarlane’s deputy since 1983 when McFarlane took over the post after serving a brief period as Reagan’s special envoy to the Mideast. Reagan, in announcing Poindexter’s appointment, said he wanted continuity in foreign policy.
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