Green Energy
Panetta to head the military? Really?
Yahoo:
Panetta to head Pentagon, Petraeus CIA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will nominate CIA director Leon Panetta as defense secretary, resetting his national security team ahead of the 2012 presidential campaign and a battle over the Pentagon budget.
Obama will also nominate Army General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, to replace Panetta as CIA director, and veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, U.S. officials said.
The long-anticipated changes, which must be confirmed by the Senate, would place a long-standing Democratic Party figure at the helm of the Pentagon as Obama presses forward with politically delicate policies in Afghanistan and Libya.
The administration and Congress also face mounting calls for defense spending cuts as Washington looks for ways to narrow the yawning U.S. budget deficit, which stands at $1.4 trillion this year.
The current defense chief, Robert Gates, was appointed by former President George W. Bush, a Republican, and has proved to be an outspoken maverick on key issues under both administrations. Gates, himself a former CIA director, had made it clear that he would step down as defense chief this year.
Panetta, who turns 73 in June, is a former U.S. representative from California who served as chairman of the House Budget Committee. He was former President Bill Clinton's budget director, then chief of staff.
A U.S. official said Obama would nominate Panetta later this week.
Petraeus, 58, is a popular figure credited with pulling Iraq from the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S. invasion before he assumed command of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Before word of the reshuffle broke, some Washington insiders suggested the White House wanted a high-profile position for Petraeus to ensure he would not be tapped by Republicans to challenge Obama next year.
Crocker has served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon.
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So a trillion dollars in bank bailouts (300 billion to Citi-idiots alone) was necessary good and proper. But the American Military isn't worth 489 billion? I guess Uncle Barry doesn't think they're too big to fail. Obama plans to cut tens...
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We shouldn't NEED a reminder that we're at war. And as far as no one ignored the potential danger in dealing with this man we have seven dead who'd say someone certainly fucked up somewhere. Horse's ass. Newsmax: CIA Director: Suicide...
Green Energy
Doom
Panetta to head the military? Really?
Yahoo:
Panetta to head Pentagon, Petraeus CIA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will nominate CIA director Leon Panetta as defense secretary, resetting his national security team ahead of the 2012 presidential campaign and a battle over the Pentagon budget.
Obama will also nominate Army General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, to replace Panetta as CIA director, and veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, U.S. officials said.
The long-anticipated changes, which must be confirmed by the Senate, would place a long-standing Democratic Party figure at the helm of the Pentagon as Obama presses forward with politically delicate policies in Afghanistan and Libya.
The administration and Congress also face mounting calls for defense spending cuts as Washington looks for ways to narrow the yawning U.S. budget deficit, which stands at $1.4 trillion this year.
The current defense chief, Robert Gates, was appointed by former President George W. Bush, a Republican, and has proved to be an outspoken maverick on key issues under both administrations. Gates, himself a former CIA director, had made it clear that he would step down as defense chief this year.
Panetta, who turns 73 in June, is a former U.S. representative from California who served as chairman of the House Budget Committee. He was former President Bill Clinton's budget director, then chief of staff.
A U.S. official said Obama would nominate Panetta later this week.
Petraeus, 58, is a popular figure credited with pulling Iraq from the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S. invasion before he assumed command of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Before word of the reshuffle broke, some Washington insiders suggested the White House wanted a high-profile position for Petraeus to ensure he would not be tapped by Republicans to challenge Obama next year.
Crocker has served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon.
- Documents Show Top Defense Officials Briefed Obama Minutes After Assault On Benghazi Began It Was A “terrorist Attack,” Not A Protest About A Video
Minutes after the American consulate in Benghazi came under assault on Sept. 11, 2012, the nation’s top civilian and uniformed defense officials — headed for a previously scheduled Oval Office session with President Obama — were informed that...
- Not Too Big To Fail?
So a trillion dollars in bank bailouts (300 billion to Citi-idiots alone) was necessary good and proper. But the American Military isn't worth 489 billion? I guess Uncle Barry doesn't think they're too big to fail. Obama plans to cut tens...
- I'm Shocked Etc
Washington Times: Liberals see opportunity for big cuts in defense Push for troop, arms levels after Cold War The political left is pressing the White House and Congress to inflict a wave of Pentagon budget cuts not seen since the post-Cold War 1990s....
-
Iraq war to be rebranded 'Operation New Dawn': memo WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama’s administration plans to rebrand its military operation in Iraq “Operation New Dawn,” beginning September 1, a Pentagon memorandum shows....
- Almost Doesn't Count Except In. . .
We shouldn't NEED a reminder that we're at war. And as far as no one ignored the potential danger in dealing with this man we have seven dead who'd say someone certainly fucked up somewhere. Horse's ass. Newsmax: CIA Director: Suicide...