Bush shifts Pentagon line of succession
The military service chiefs have been pushed below 3 civilian undersecretaries
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, December 29, 2005


WASHINGTON

The three military service chiefs have been dropped in the Bush administration's doomsday line of Pentagon succession, pushed beneath three civilian undersecretaries in Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's inner circle.

A little-noticed holiday-week executive order from President Bush moved the Pentagon's intelligence chief to the No. 3 spot in the succession hierarchy behind Rumsfeld. The second spot would be the deputy secretary of defense, but that position is vacant. The Army chief, who long held the No. 3 spot, was dropped to sixth.

The changes are the second in six months, and mirror the administration's new emphasis on intelligence gathering vs. combat in 21st-century warfighting.

Technically, the line of succession is assigned to specific positions, rather than the individuals holding those jobs.

In its current incarnation, the doomsday plan moves to near the top three undersecretaries who are Rumsfeld loyalists and who previously worked for Vice President Dick Cheney when he was defense secretary.

The changes were recommended said Bryan Whitman, a spokesman for the Pentagon, because the three undersecretaries have "a broad knowledge and perspective of overall Defense Department operations." The service leaders are more focused on training, equipping and leading a particular military service, said Whitman.

Under the new plan, Stephen Cambone, Rumsfeld ally and the undersecretary for intelligence, moved up to the third spot. Former Ambassador Eric Edelman, the policy undersecretary, and Kenneth Krieg, the undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, hold the fourth and fifth positions.

The first to succeed Rumsfeld remains the job of the deputy secretary, a position that is vacant because the Senate has not confirmed Bush's nominee - Navy Secretary Gordon England.

Senators have already approved Donald Winter to be England's replacement as Navy chief, and it is expected that Bush will move England into the No. 2 Pentagon job without congressional approval through what is known as a recess appointment.

Bush tinkered with the succession line in June, temporarily making England, as secretary of the Navy, the No. 2 in the succession hierarchy until the deputy's job is filled. Last week, Bush changed that, ordering that the acting deputy secretary - also England - would succeed Rumsfeld, until a deputy is appointed.

The new succession order bumps the Navy secretary to near the bottom of the line of succession - eighth behind the deputy, the three Pentagon undersecretaries and the Army and Air Force secretaries.

The secretary of the Army historically has been third in line, right behind the deputy secretary.

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