Chuck Hagel steps down as US defence secretary

Barack Obama said the outgoing defence secretary was crucial to ushering the US military 'through a significant period of transition' and said he appreciated that Mr Hagel has 'always given it to me straight' as an adviser.

US defence secretary Chuck Hagel, left, is stepping down following a tenure in which he has struggled to break through the White House's insular foreign policy team. AP Photo/Susan Walsh
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New York // The US defence secretary Chuck Hagel submitted his resignation on Monday amid reports he was pressured to step down as Barack Obama’s national security team struggled to form a coherent strategy to fight ISIL.

The move, which could mark the beginning of a deeper shake-up of Mr Obama’s national security advisers, was announced by the US president as he stood with Mr Hagel and the US vice president at the White House, showering Mr Hagel with accolades.

Mr Obama said the outgoing defence secretary was crucial to ushering the US military “through a significant period of transition” and said he appreciated that Mr Hagel has “always given it to me straight” as an adviser.

The 68-year-old Republican and military veteran – the first veteran to hold the position – served for less than two years in Mr Obama’s cabinet, where he was reported to have an uneasy relationship with the close circle of White House foreign policy advisers and clashed with them over the strategy against ISIL.

Mr Hagel survived a bruising confirmation process during which he gave sometimes confusing answers that drew questions as to his competence, a pattern that continued during his time in office. He occasionally contradicted and angered the White House, in particular on its policies in the fight against ISIL.

Mr Hagel never quite recovered from attacks during that process by fellow Republicans for his opposition to sanctions against Iran, his criticism of the 2007 US troop surge in Iraq and comments he made on the power of what he called the “Jewish lobby” in Washington.

US defence officials were quoted in US media as insisting the decision was made by both Mr Hagel and Mr Obama after two weeks of discussions, and that he will stay in office until a replacement is nominated and confirmed by congress.

Mr Hagel, an opponent of the Iraq war, was brought on to steer the defence department through its drawdown of US forces from Afghanistan and the deep cuts to defence spending after a decade of ballooning budgets.

But the US has been drawn back into a new conflict in the Middle East against a virulent extremist group, and the defence officials were reported as saying that Mr Hagel lacked the particular skills needed in a defence secretary for a new kind of war.

The administration has been criticised for its handling of the fight against ISIL and having an incoherent strategy, particularly with regards to Syria. Mr Hagel himself has clashed with the White House on the issue. Mr Obama could be looking for a replacement better able to present his positions to the public.

Mr Hagel was reportedly frustrated with the White House’s tight control over public statements on the ISIL fight, which aides said he thought confused allies and made it even more difficult for him to explain his thoughts publicly.

The defence secretary was dispatched by Mr Obama on a number of occasions to the Arabian Gulf to reassure leaders about Washington’s commitment to the region as the White House indicated it was hoping to focus less on the Middle East and “pivot” to East Asia.

The interim nuclear deal with Iran exacerbated these fears, but the renewed US military role in the region, in coalition with traditional allies, against ISIL has added a measure of reassurance, though concerns remain in the Gulf about Mr Obama’s strategy to defeat ISIL.

On Friday, Mr Hagel met separately in Washington with counterparts from Qatar and Saudi Arabia to discuss the coalition against ISIL.

tkhan@thenational.ae