Obama likely to name ex-Pentagon official Ashton Carter for defence secy

Washington: Former Pentagon official Ashton Carter is likely to be President Barack Obama’s nominee for defence secretary, according to administration officials, putting him in line to take over a sprawling department that has had an uneasy relationship with the White House. [caption id=“attachment_1831825” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Former Pentagon official Ashton Carter. AP[/caption] Officials said Obama had not made a final decision on the matter, but Carter had emerged as the top candidate. At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest praised Carter effusively for serving “very, very ably” at the Pentagon previously and noted Carter had been easily confirmed by the Senate once before. “This is an indication that he fulfills some of the criteria that we’ve discussed in the past,” Earnest said. “He is somebody who definitely deserves and has demonstrated strong bipartisan support for his previous service in government.” A physicist with deep Pentagon experience, Carter moved to the top of the White House’s short list after several leading contenders pulled their names from consideration for what is typically a highly sought-after Cabinet spot. Sen. Jim Inhofe, the Senate Armed Services Committee’s top Republican, said he was informed of the decision to name Carter early Tuesday and backs Carter’s expected nomination. An aide of Inhofe said later the senator had based his comments on press reports. “I support it very strongly,” Inhofe said of Carter’s probable nomination. “I’m very pleased he is going to be our secretary of defense. I can’t imagine that he’s going to have opposition to his confirmation.” Administration officials said Obama did not plan to announce his Pentagon pick Tuesday and could still go in a different direction. The officials insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the president’s decision-making process publicly. If Obama moves forward with Carter’s nomination and he is approved by the Senate, the 60-year-old would replace Chuck Hagel, who resigned as Pentagon chief last week under pressure from Obama. Hagel’s resignation highlighted ongoing tensions between the White House and the Pentagon, where top officials have complained about West Wing micromanagement and a lack of clarity in Obama’s policy-making. Perhaps as a result of those concerns, Obama found himself with a far shorter list of possible replacements for Hagel that the White House may have expected. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson was among those considered for the Pentagon post, but told the White House he’d rather stay put, according to people familiar with the process. Michele Flournoy, one of Obama’s top choices, quickly took her name out of contention, in part because of concerns over the tight rein the White House has tried to keep on the Defense Department. And Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat and a veteran, also made clear within hours of Hagel’s resignation that he wasn’t interested. Defense analyst Anthony Cordesman said that as Obama approaches the end of his presidency, the Cabinet post is “not particularly desirable” for anyone with broader political ambitions. “It’s very unlikely you will get political visibility or credit for being the secretary,” said Cordesman, who works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “There are just too many problems and uncertainties.” Carter has extensive experience in the national security arena. Before he served as deputy defense secretary from October 2011 to December 2013 he was the Pentagon’s technology and weapons-buying chief for more than two years. He has bachelor’s degrees in physics and medieval history from Yale University and received his doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has extensive knowledge of the inner workings of the US nuclear arsenal. Associated Press