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Petraeus to Head CIA, Panetta to Head Defense Department

By Jeralyn, Section Obama Administration
Posted on Wed Apr 27, 2011 at 12:47:32 PM EST
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President Obama will announce tomorrow that Robert Gates will be replaced as Secretary of Defense by Leon Panetta, and David Petraeus will become head of the CIA.

The changes, which will not take effect until this summer, essentially preserve the status quo on the national security team as the administration heads into a crucial period of turmoil in the Middle East and South Asia, U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq and a make-or-break year in Afghanistan.

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    Petraeus to Head CIA, Panetta to Head Defense Department | 12 comments (12 topical)

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    As the AfPak goes CIA (none / 0) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Apr 27, 2011 at 12:56:40 PM EST
    I figured it was going to happen.  You could sort of see it evolving into that.

    Petraeus ???? (none / 0) (#2)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Apr 27, 2011 at 01:02:25 PM EST
    Now can you get any more Bushesque that rewarding failure with promotion ?

    Who will be military honcho (none / 0) (#3)
    by oculus on Wed Apr 27, 2011 at 04:17:31 PM EST
    in Afghanistan?

    A Lt. General and a Marine (none / 0) (#4)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 12:18:57 AM EST
    serving under Mattis named John Allen.

    Parent
    Your opinion of same? (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 10:32:16 AM EST


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    He's very unknown to me (none / 0) (#8)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 12:40:34 PM EST
    I know of Mattis, very well.  He has come up through the ranks under him.  But Stan came up under Petraeus' tutelage and tutelage is not the full measure of what the pupil will be it would seem :) Looks like Caldwell is being passed over though, puzzling.  And word on how everyone is getting shifted around has Obama's "favorite" General James "Hoss" Cartwright getting passed over too.  He had a drunk girl in his room though, and rumors that she was sporting a uniform too.  But she slept at the foot of the bed....scouts honor.  And she was having some stress and he was "counseling" her....Buwhahahahaha.  He was cleared of any wrong doing.  But so was Stanley McChrystal and so was Ricardo Sanchez, in the military that doesn't count for much when one is a General :)  It has tarnished his stars though looks like.

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    Sorry, James Cartwright (none / 0) (#9)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 12:51:31 PM EST
    I don't know much about him either other than he got in trouble, and when he was labeled Obama's favorite nobody could figure out why.  I don't think it had anything to do with competency :)

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    Ha! So I googled Cartwright (none / 0) (#10)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 12:58:31 PM EST
    This splains it much much better.

    IS "HOSS" READY TO RIDE OFF INTO SUNSET?
    GEN. JAMES CARTWRIGHT SAID TO BE LEAVING
    VICE-CHAIRMAN SPOT ON JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
    AT PENTAGON SOON - FORMER MARINE FIGHTER
    PILOT'S FEMALE MAJOR FRIEND SINCE STRATCOM
    SAID TO BE REASON FOR EARLY EXIT - SHE
    PROMOTED FROM "BELOW ZONE" - FAST TRACK
    FIELD-GRADE "DEVOTED" TO MUCH OLDER BOSS

    What a jerk, and don't try this stuff in the military because everybody works very hard and nobody is going to lie down these days while you promote someone from below the zone to field-grade just because she wanks you.

    Parent

    See Digby re Pres. Obama's (none / 0) (#11)
    by oculus on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 01:57:20 PM EST
    motives in appointing Petreaus to head CIA.  I'd forgotten P is potential GOP Presidential candidate.

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    It's the complete twofer (none / 0) (#12)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 02:02:38 PM EST
    You have the guy who will take this war underground and away from the prying eyes of all bases, and he knows the lay of the land like the back of his hand.  And once again, Petraeus is going to be so busy and dedicated trying to make certain that his college thesis doesn't end up toilet paper...he won't be running for anything other than occasional cover :)  I love Digby!

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    Great - there goes any chance of (none / 0) (#5)
    by Anne on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 09:35:38 AM EST
    some kind of check and balance on the military's influence.  Can't wait to hear all the objections from Dems who thought the Bush appointment of military-man Hayden was such a terrible idea.

    What?  They're not objecting?

    I guess we're fully into if-a-Democratic-president-does-it-it's-not-just-okay-it's-just-the-smartest-and-wisest-decision-ever .

    Funny how that happens, eh?

    There was a check on military influence? (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Thu Apr 28, 2011 at 09:58:16 AM EST
    I thought its been perpetually unchecked, at least since Eisenhower warned us about unchecked military power and influence.  CIA too...definitely no checks there, more like carte blanche!

    Spooks heading defense, generals heading the spooks...its time like this I really wish it was Dennis Kuchnich's birth certificate the loons were after.

    Parent

    Petraeus to Head CIA, Panetta to Head Defense Department | 12 comments (12 topical)

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