Critics question capabilities of US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel

Chuck Hagel visits troops in Afghanistan on his first trip abroad as US Defence Secretary (photo:dpa)

General info

Location

United States

Date

29 March 2013

Contains

Report Scenarios

Tags

Barack Obama Chuck Hagel Leon Panetta

Author

Dr. James Jay Carafano

James Jay Carafano, a leading expert in America’s national security and foreign policy challenges, is the Washington-based Heritage Foundation’s vice president for foreign and defence policy studies and director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies.Before ...

Former US senator Chuck Hagel was recently confirmed Secretary of Defence. The appointment as head of the Pentagon was part of President Barack Obama’s sweeping changes to all top positions in his national security team as he began his second term of office. But Mr Hagel is a controversial choice and he could find himself struggling the most to effectively implement the president’s policies.

GLOBAL eyes are on the controversial appointment of former US senator Chuck Hagel as he eases into his new role as President Barack Obama’s defence secretary.

His opponents are vocal in their concerns that Mr Hagel, as head of the Pentagon, ma...

Contents

Significant emnity
Funding issues
Senior leaders
Major adjustments
Quadrennial Defence Review
Significant scrutiny
Arab Spring aftermath

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His opponents are vocal in their concerns that Mr Hagel, as head of the Pentagon, may find himself struggling to effectively implement the president’s policies