Obama likely to announce changes in national security team this week
April 27th, 2011 - 4:03 pm ICT by ANI
Washington, Apr 27 (ANI): US President Barack Obama is expected to announce changes in his national security team, including the ambassador to Afghanistan, this week.
The Washington Post quoted administration officials familiar with internal deliberations as saying that around four high-level appointments could be announced by Thursday, including a replacement for Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
Senior congressional aides said the administration has not informed national-security-related committees of any firm decisions yet.
However, the officials said that Ryan C. Crocker, a five-time ambassador who retired in 2009 after wartime service in Iraq, is likely to be named to take over the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, reuniting him with General David H. Petraeus, who headed U.S. forces in Iraq during Crocker’s tenure there, and now commands the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan.
Gates’s departure this year has been widely discussed, including by the defense secretary himself.
According to Pentagon sources and others, the leading candidate to replace Gates is still CIA Director Leon Panetta, while Marine Lieutenant General John R. Allen, deputy of the U.S. Central Command, is likely to succeed Petraeus as commander of U.S., NATO and coalition forces in Afghanistan. (ANI)
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Tags: administration officials, barack obama, central command, cia director, coalition forces, congressional aides, defense secretary, deliberations, john r allen, leon panetta, level appointments, lieutenant general, marine lieutenant, national security team, pentagon sources, petraeus, s central, secretary robert, wartime service, washington post