Chuck Hagel possibly next US Secretary of Defense

The ex-Republican senator from Nebraska, Charles T. Hagel (known as "Chuck"), may be chosen by Democratic President Barack Obama as the next Secretary of Defense.

President Obama wants to nominate Democratic senator John Kerry as Secretary of State, but was reserving the possibility of handing him the Defense posting if he could not find a suitable candidate.

Chuck Hagel, a Chevron executive, presides over the Atlantic Council (one of NATO’s think tanks). He maintains trusting relations with Barack Obama, and has already accepted to co-chair the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

The US media is not excluding the idea that the White House may be leaking Hagel’s name in order to put pressure on the Republicans, but without any real intention of nominating him.

In a recent article, Thierry Meyssan revealed the objectives of the next Obama administration, and commented on the role of John Kerry [1]: "… to weaken the developing Sino-Russian alliance and share the burden of the Middle East with Russia (…) and to apply the agreement on Syria, concluded on the 30th June in Geneva". Asked about the possible nomination of Chuck Hagel, he indicated that this option confirms Washington’s new orientations. "Chuck Hagel participated with John Kerry, in 2008, in the attempts to implement Syro-Israeli negotiations concerning the restitution of the Golan Heights, as witnessed by an editorial that they co-wrote in the Wall Street Journal [2]", he stated. "Both men are used to working in tandem. They also both worked together in 2009, to help Barack Obama redefine US policy with regard to Pakistan".