Hagel Resigns

After close to two years as the leading officer of the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has resigned. His resignation doesn’t come as a huge surprise. It has long been publicly known that he has had disagreements with the administration’s handling of the Islamic State conflict in the Middle East.  Hagel has been the only Republican in the president’s cabinet throughout his whole time in office. Many believe that he supports a stronger and more heavily militarized approach to combating ISIS.

It was just a few weeks ago that the nation’s top law officer, Attorney General Chuck Holder, announced his resignation as well. It appears as though there has been some internal conflict within the Obama administration and after the Democrats lost a majority in the midterm election, it is likely that the president wanted a change. While nobody knows whether Hagel’s decision was unilateral or whether he was pushed to resign, it is clear that his resignation was inevitable.

The question that now awaits an answer is who the president will choose to fill this newly vacant position. While there are many names on the list of logical successors, the second in command of the pentagon has withdrawn herself from consideration claiming she is currently dealing with family issues. The president will have to pick wisely as the current conflicts overseas demand someone who is capable of taking on the challenge but also someone who holds the same views as the president.

It is highly likely that the world will watch the president’s appointment closely. While the next secretary of defense will largely follow and support the policies of the president, he/she will play a huge part in deciding American foreign policy. Mr. Hagel has publicly thanked the president and praised him for the opportunity. He has also stated that he is exceedingly proud of what they have accomplished together and wishes the administration and the president all the best.

Cooper, Helene. "Hagel Resigns Under Pressure as Global Crises Test Pentagon." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/us/hagel-said-to-be-stepping-down-as-defense-chief-under-pressure.html>.