Bush reshuffles Iraq team: report

U.S. President George W. Bush is overhauling his top diplomatic and military team in Iraq, The Washington Post reported Friday.

The move came as the White House scrambles to complete its new war policy package in time for the president to unveil it in a speech to the nation next week, according to the report.

With significant policy details left to be worked out over this weekend, the Bush administration is moving ahead on several personnel changes.

It is set to announce that Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who gained fame for his early success in training Iraqi troops and securing a volatile city in northern Iraq, will replace Gen. George W. Casey Jr. as commander of the multinational forces in Iraq.

The administration also intends to nominate Navy Adm. William J. Fallon to head the Central Command, replacing Gen. John P. Abizaid as the top U.S. military commander for the Middle East.

On the diplomatic side, the White House will appoint veteran U.S. diplomat Ryan C. Crocker, the current envoy to Pakistan, who began his career in the 1970s in Iraq, as the new ambassador to Baghdad.

The controversial current ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, will be nominated to become the top U.S. envoy at the United Nations, replacing John R. Bolton.

Besides, Bush is also expected to announce that Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte will return to the State Department as deputy to Condoleezza Rice, and retired Navy Adm. John M. McConnell will take the top U.S. intelligence job.

As part of his congressional consultations before next week's speech, Bush has invited a group of lawmakers to talk about Iraq on Friday.

Source: Xinhua