November 24, 2014

Charles T. “Chuck” Hagel resigned this morning as secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense after less than two years in the position. Various newspapers have reported that Secretary Hagel has been sharply critical of President Barack Obama’s strategy in dealing with the Islamic State (ISIS) and with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Mr. Hagel–a Vietnam War (1957-1975) veteran who as a senator (R., Nebraska) was skeptical about the Iraq War (2001-2011)–was appointed in 2013 to manage the withdrawal of forces from the Afghanistan combat and the shrinking Defense Department budget in the era of budget sequestrations (across the board federal budget cuts). Now, however, the U.S. military is back on a war footing with some 3,000 American troops deployed in Iraq to aid the Iraqi army battle ISIS jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

Charles T. “Chuck” Hagel resigned as secretary of defense of the United States in November 2014. (U.S. Senate)

Speaking at a White House press conference, President Obama stated that Hagel has been “no ordinary secretary of defense,” noting that he had “been in the dirt” of combat like no other defense secretary. The president confirmed Hagel will remain in the job until the Senate confirms his successor.

Additional World Book articles:

• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)
• Syria: The Roots of a Rebellion (a special report)