WASHINGTON, 6 January 2007 — US President George W. Bush is reshuffling both his national security and Iraq teams. Yesterday he nominated an intelligence veteran, former National Security Agency Director Mike McConnell, to be the country’s second national intelligence director. Bush also chose his former top spymaster, John Negroponte, to be deputy secretary of state.
McConnell previously served as head of the National Security Agency under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Both McConnell and Negroponte, who appeared with Bush for the White House announcement, must be confirmed by the US Senate before they can assume their new positions. “I would hope they would be confirmed as quickly as possible,” Bush said. Negroponte oversaw the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies as director of national intelligence and reported directly to the president.
In his new role at the State Department, Negroponte will be Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s deputy. He will replace Robert Zoellick, who resigned in June to become a vice chairman at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in New York.
The moves come as part of the White House effort to chart a new direction on Iraq and reshape Bush’s national security strategy with two years left in his presidency.
Part of the new course appears to be a renovation of Bush’s intelligence and national security team. In addition to Negroponte’s shift, Defense Secretary Robert Gates took over the Pentagon last month and is expected to bring in retired Lt. Gen. James Clapper as his undersecretary for intelligence.
Bush’s new strategy may include a temporary increase of up to 30,000 troops to help restore stability in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad. The US now has about 132,000 troops in Iraq.
Negroponte has been a troubleshooter throughout Bush’s presidency, serving as the first US ambassador to Iraq after a US-led force overthrew Saddam Hussein.
More reshuffling is expected as Bush will likely name Adm. William Fallon, the chief of US forces in Asia and the Pacific, as the next commander in the Middle East, replacing retiring Army Gen. John Abizaid, who publicly opposed sending more troops to Iraq.
Additionally Lt. Gen. David Petraeus is expected to be named the top ground commander in Iraq, replacing Gen. George Casey.
The current US ambassador to Pakistan, Ryan Crocker, is expected to replace Zalmay Khalilzad in Baghdad as US ambassador to Iraq. Khalilzad is expected to be named the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
All of this is seen as part of an emerging overhaul of Bush’s diplomatic and military team as he prepares to announce a change of course in Iraq.
Besides ushering in new personnel, Bush yesterday discussed his plans for the Iraq war privately with more than a dozen senators, a list that includes some of his biggest critics, as well as his most ardent supporters.
