U.S Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Resigns

LATEST UPDATE: U.S Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Resigns

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is resigning, The New York Times reported on Monday.

A senior administration official subsequently confirmed to Business Insider that Hagel would resign. They said Hagel would announce his decision alongside the president at 11:00 a.m.

“A successor will be named in short order, but Secretary Hagel will remain as Defense Secretary until his replacement is confirmed by the United States Senate,” the official said.

The official characterized Hagel’s decision to step down as normal administration turnover in the wake of the midterm elections earlier this month.

“In October, Secretary Hagel began speaking with the President about departing the Administration given the natural post-midterms transition time. Those conversations have been ongoing for several weeks,” said the official.

The Times characterized Hagel’s resignation as a response to criticism of the Obama administration’s handling of several major recent global threats.

“His removal appears to be an effort by the White House to show that it is sensitive to critics who have pointed to stumbles in the government’s early response to several national security issues, including the Ebola crisis and the threat posed by the Islamic State,” the Times reported.

The US-led fight against the jihadist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) has been hampered by corruption in the Iraqi military and a lack of coherent US strategy in Syria that has hobbled the large international coalition that joined the effort.

However, the administration official who spoke to Business Insider praised Hagel’s leadership at the Department of Defense.

“Over the past two years, Secretary Hagel helped manage an intense period of transition for the United States Armed Forces, including the drawdown in Afghanistan, the need to prepare our forces for future missions, and tough fiscal choices to keep our military strong and ready,” said the official. “Over nearly two years, Secretary Hagel has been a steady hand, guiding our military through this transition, and helping us respond to challenges from ISIL to Ebola.”

(Business Insider )

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