Obama preparing to shake up national security team

Apr 27, 2011, 16:06 GMT

Washington - US President Barack Obama is preparing to reshuffle parts of his cabinet and make new appointments to key diplomatic and military posts.

Obama could announce the changes as soon as Thursday. According to the Washington Post, the changes would include designating CIA Director Leon Panetta as the successor for Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

Gates is a holdover from the former president George W Bush's administration who has stated his intention to leave this year. Gates is credited with overseeing Bush's 2007 troop surge in Iraq, which helped turn the tide of the war.

Obama intends to name General David Petraeus, who is the commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan, as the next CIA director. Ryan Crocker, a retired diplomat who last served as US ambassador to Iraq, will be appointed ambassador to Afghanistan, the reports said.

Petraeus worked closely with Crocker while commanding US and coalition forces in Iraq during the surge. All of the appointments require US Senate approval.

The reports said Petraeus will be replaced by Lieutenant General John Allen, deputy commander of US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, South Central Asia and parts of Africa.

The changes come at a critical time in foreign policy, with ongoing upheaval in the Middle East, the 50,000 remaining US troops scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of the year, and with the ongoing struggle in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban and build up the government of President Hamid Karzai.

Crocker would replace former general Karl Eikenberry as ambassador to Karzai's government. Eikenberry has been said to have a cool relationship with Karzai.

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