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Pompeo faces Senate buzz saw over stance on Iran, Muslims

President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state is in trouble amid a backlash over his administration’s hawkish bent.
Protesters voice their opposition as CIA Director Mike Pompeo testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on Pompeoís nomination to be secretary of state on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - HP1EE4C163E9Q

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead US diplomacy is in jeopardy because of his bellicose approach toward the Middle East.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo, the nominee for secretary of state, faced a barrage of criticism from Democrats during his Senate hearing today over his hawkish rhetoric on Iran and political Islamist groups. With Trump threatening to bomb Syria and pull out of the nuclear deal with Iran, lawmakers raised concerns that this week's arrival of the equally hawkish national security adviser John Bolton could precipitate US military action in the Middle East and other hot spots.

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