'War czar' nominee hints at major policy shift

[RamboLiberal]

Source: LA Times

The man chosen by President Bush to become his new "war czar" told Congress Thursday that national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley will no longer be responsible for Iraq policy, indicating the administration has quietly engineered a significant change in foreign policy leadership that could directly affect U.S. war strategy.

Army Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute testified at his confirmation hearing that he will report directly to Bush on all issues involving the war, as well as the current conflict in Afghanistan, while Hadley would deal with the president "on matters outside of Iraq (and) Afghanistan."

The testimony stunned leading Democrats and at least one Republican, who appeared taken aback by the extent of the shake-up in Bush's inner circle of advisers -- particularly the diminished role Hadley will play.

"Afghanistan, Iraq and, related to that, Iran are the most critical foreign policy problems we face, and the national security adviser of the United States has taken his hands off that and given it to you?" asked Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a former Army officer who described himself as a longtime friend of Lute's. "Then he should be fired. Frankly, if he's not capable of being the individual responsible for those duties and they pass it on to someone else, then why is he there?"


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-usiraq8jun08,0,7238112.story?coll=la-home-center

[Mind_your_head]

1. Origins of "Czar".....see where this comes from, anticipate where 'this' is going....

Etymology: New Latin czar, from Russian tsar', from Old Russian tsisari, from Gothic kaisar, from Greek or Latin; Greek, from Latin Caesar -- more at CAESAR

[Bravo Zulu]

2. It seems to me that bu$h had to scrape the bottom of the barrel

To find someone take this job, I would imagine the people that turned it down were more qualified or turned it down because that they knew that they would become the fall guy!

[Kagemusha]

3. Don't they read the damned papers? Hadley himself telegraphed this!

What, they didn't wanna believe it because it was to the press and not them, the senators? Did they not read Hadley explaining why?

I sure did, and I'm not an elected official.