Obama sending Panetta to Pentagon, Petraeus to CIA

ANNE GEARAN and KIMBERLY DOZIER WTOP 04/27/2011 18:19

President Barack Obama plans to name CIA Director Leon Panetta as the next secretary of defense and move Gen. David Petraeus, now running the war in Afghanistan, into the CIA chief's job in a major shuffle of the U.S. national security leadership, senior administration officials and other sources said Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates will retire on June 30 with Panetta taking over in July. Gates told senior staff that he recommended Panetta as his replacement six months ago.

Gates described his plans ahead of a White House announcement, expected Thursday, that Panetta would be the president's choice to replace Gates.

Petraeus' move to the CIA is not expected until early fall, after he wraps up his term as Afghan commander over the summer, officials said.

The four-star general also agreed to retire from the military before taking the position, in a meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss the move in mid-March, administration officials said.

The CIA would probably be led by a deputy over the summer.

All sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the changes hadn't been announced by the president.

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