Obama’s strategic defence and security appointments

The game of musical chairs in the national security arm of the US government is no surprise. The current Defence Secretary Bob Gates has made no secret of his desire to retire. He was also George W Bush’s last Defence Secretary and when Obama asked him to stay on in the job he told him he wouldn’t serve a full term. What difference will his departure make?

Leon Panetta – currently the head of the CIA – will become the new defence secretary. General David Petraeus will return from commanding US troops in Afghanistan to take over as the country’s top spy.

Do the personnel changes mean we will see a change in how America conducts its military strategy? What does it mean for the war in Afghanistan? Or the military engagement in Libya?

As CIA director Leon Panetta has overseen an enormous increase in the use of predator drones to bomb suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda targets in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. So we can assume he will continue to deploy these kinds of tactics as head of the armed forces – even though Pakistan has recently demanded the US stop bombing sites inside their borders.

Petraeus has always been an advocate of using secret intelligence to support his military operations – using Special Forces extensively in both Iraq and Afghanistan, which should have prepared him for the CIA.

For anyone who has recently worried that it is getting harder to know who is a spy and who is a soldier these days these appointments are confirmation that the line is getting increasingly blurred. But people who know the CIA well warn of a possible culture clash. Disciplined military officials are often frustrated and infuriated by CIA operatives – they don’t salute, they are out of shape and they defy orders and that’s what makes them good at what they do.

Petraeus is also a man known to harbour political ambitions himself. By appointing him to the CIA Obama has cleverly made sure he can’t enter the presidential race in 2012. And because it’s very hard to talk about your successes in the world of secret intelligence, he will have robbed him of a platform from which to launch a political career later. It may have made more obvious sense to appoint the military general to the Pentagon, but that’s a job that could have provided a better springboard for a leap into politics later.

The relationship between the State Dept and the Pentagon is key. Hillary Clinton and Bob Gates formed a formidable if unlikely alliance. Getting their way on issues like Egypt and Libya. It was in stark contrast to the cold war that developed between the two departments during George W’s presidency. Leon Panetta was chief of staff to President Clinton so he already has a close relationship with Hillary and that will be important. As a former budget director he has the experience necessary to oversee the deep budget cuts that the Pentagon may soon have to endure.

Both men have to be approved by Congress before they can take up their new posts. But there is no reason to assume anyone will try to block either appointment. These are pretty safe and uncontroversial choices. Just what you might expect from “No Drama Obama”.