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Home » News » Editor Favorites

Thursday, June 19, 2008

New president will inherit Bush's military leaders

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  • ASTRID RIECKEN/THE WASHINGTON TIMES
  • ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS
Moves by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (right) ended the careers of four top military officers in the past year, and their replacements are likely to be men hand-picked by Mr. Gates' predecessor, Donald H. Rumsfeld. The two men are seen in the Oval Office in November 2006. Adm. William J. Fallon (below, in May 2007) resigned as chief of U.S. Central Command. His successor could be in command until 2010 or later.
  • ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY THE AIR FORCE
  • AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
Top military officers who have advised President Bush on the Iraq war could soon assume new commands that potentially would keep them in their new tours far into the next president's administration. Among those in the changing picture are (clockwise from top left) Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, who is Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates' choice for chief of the U.S. Central Command; the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Michael G. Mullen; the Joint Chiefs vice chairman, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright; and Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, whom Mr. Gates would like to see take over as Air Force chief of staff.

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By Rowan Scarborough

Moves by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in the past year to abruptly end the careers of four top officers will leave the next president with some of the same senior military leaders who advised President Bush on the Iraq war.

Several key positions, including chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were due for a new general or admiral in 2009.

However, because Mr. Gates replaced four four-star officers, the incoming group of top officers will have years left on their tours when the next president takes charge in January.

For Sen. John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, holdover generals might not be a problem. He screened all current senior officers from his post on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

But for Sen. Barack Obama, who has lambasted Mr. Bush's war policies and has run on a campaign theme of "change," the comfort level with his inherited Joint Chiefs of Staff and field commanders might not be as high.

Should he win, the presumed Democratic nominee will work with officers nurtured and hand-picked by former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, a frequent target of Democrats.

Charles Krohn, former deputy chief of Army public affairs and the author of a book on the Vietnam War, said the next president is not out of options.

"There is no reason for keeping people in office in the short term who don't have his confidence," Mr. Krohn said. "Obama would have that option to put in his own team."

Nor should Mr. Gates worry about limiting a next president's personnel moves.

"Put yourself in Gates' position," Mr. Krohn said. "He is firing people for malfeasance. It would be malfeasant on his part if he kept people on just so the next administration would have more choices."

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