Panetta to be named Def. Sec. and Petraeus to be named CIA Dir.

[Kleves]

Obama hopes to buy Petraeus' loyalty with honors and high office. Will it be enough to prevent Petraeus from leading his legions across the Potomac and taking the purple?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/us/28team.html?_r=1&hp

WASHINGTON — President Obama is expected this week to name Leon E. Panetta, the director of central intelligence, as defense secretary and Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Afghanistan, as director of the C.I.A., administration officials said Wednesday.

The appointments, set in motion by the impending retirement of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, are part of a significant rearrangement of Mr. Obama's national security team that will include several new assignments within the closest circle of his diplomatic, military and intelligence advisers.

Mr. Gates is expected to step down this summer.

The changes at the top of Mr. Obama's national security team have long been expected.

Not long after Mr. Gates leaves, the term will expire for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, who, like the defense secretary, was appointed by President George W. Bush. And Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg has announced that he is leaving for an academic job — removing one of the crucial players in Mr. Obama's efforts to manage China's rise.

But Mr. Gates's role is the most critical. He often allied with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton — who has said that she intends to leave the administration when this term ends — including persuading Mr. Obama to start the military buildup in Afghanistan in 2009. Together they won many other battles, but they visibly split last month on the military intervention in Libya.

In naming Mr. Panetta to the Pentagon, Mr. Obama is selecting an already confirmed cabinet official with strong ties to both the White House and Capitol Hill. In selecting  General Petraeus, who at least initially did not have a strong relationship with the Obama White House, the president is retaining a high-profile military official who has extensive knowledge of intelligence gathering in both Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years.

The president is also likely soon to nominate the veteran diplomat Ryan C. Crocker as the next United States ambassador to Afghanistan. That move would, at least for a while, reunite Mr. Crocker, a former ambassador to Iraq, with General Petraeus, with whom he worked closely in Iraq during the Bush administration

[The Brain]

I can't see Petraeus betray anyone.

[Razgovory]

From what I've heard Panetta has done good work in the CIA.

[KRonn]

From what I've heard Panetta has done good work in the CIA.

Yes, that's been the word. As for Petraeus, unless he was retiring I'm a bit sad to see him leave the Army where he's been instrumental and has had good effect in shaping military policy and anti-insurgency efforts.

[MadImmortalMan]

From what I've heard Panetta has done good work in the CIA.

Yes, that's been the word. As for Petraeus, unless he was retiring I'm a bit sad to see him leave the Army where he's been instrumental and has had good effect in shaping military policy and anti-insurgency efforts.

Now he's going to Langley where he can be absorbed into mediocrity and have no further effect whatsoever on anything.

[Zanza2]

The article says that they need a new Joint Chief of Staff, too. Wouldn't that be the perfect position of a man like Petraeus?

[Razgovory]

From what I've heard Panetta has done good work in the CIA.

Yes, that's been the word. As for Petraeus, unless he was retiring I'm a bit sad to see him leave the Army where he's been instrumental and has had good effect in shaping military policy and anti-insurgency efforts.

Now he's going to Langley where he can be absorbed into mediocrity and have no further effect whatsoever on anything.

Very likely.  The CIA is much more "Washington" oriented then the military is.  I'm not sure if that would be the right position for Petraus.  To be honest both men were good where they were.

[CountDeMoney]

From what I've heard Panetta has done good work in the CIA.

Yes, that's been the word. As for Petraeus, unless he was retiring I'm a bit sad to see him leave the Army where he's been instrumental and has had good effect in shaping military policy and anti-insurgency efforts.

Now he's going to Langley where he can be absorbed into mediocrity and have no further effect whatsoever on anything.

Very likely.  The CIA is much more "Washington" oriented then the military is.  I'm not sure if that would be the right position for Petraus.  To be honest both men were good where they were.

CIA ain't what it used to be.  Uncle Donny and Uncle Dicky took care of that for the Cokehead-in-chief years ago.

[Habbaku]

Hey, did anyone hear about the reshuffle going on?  Supposedly, Petraeus is headed to the CIA and Panetta to the Pentagon?

[Scipio]

Effing eh.

[Ed Anger]

Hey, did anyone hear about the reshuffle going on?  Supposedly, Petraeus is headed to the CIA and Panetta to the Pentagon?

I hear they are blocking searches on it in China.

[citizen k]

Hey, did anyone hear about the reshuffle going on?  Supposedly, Petraeus is headed to the CIA and Panetta to the Pentagon?

I hear they are blocking searches on it in China.

Why?

[CountDeMoney]

Hey, did anyone hear about the reshuffle going on?  Supposedly, Petraeus is headed to the CIA and Panetta to the Pentagon?

I hear they are blocking searches on it in China.

Why?

Because of suckers like you.

[Tonitrus]

From what I've heard Panetta has done good work in the CIA.

Yes, that's been the word. As for Petraeus, unless he was retiring I'm a bit sad to see him leave the Army where he's been instrumental and has had good effect in shaping military policy and anti-insurgency efforts.

Now he's going to Langley where he can be absorbed into mediocrity and have no further effect whatsoever on anything.

GHWB was head of CIA...might yet be a good stepping stone.

[Jacob]

Yeah, I was just going to say - isn't being head of the Intelligence agency one of the main stepping stones for the top job? I mean, just look at Bush and Putin.