United States President George W Bush intends to appoint his country's Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad as the country's ambassador to the United Nations to replace John Bolton, who resigned following the Democrats' takeover of the Senate.
The shifting of Khalilzad from Baghdad is part of a major revamping of civilian and military team in Iraq and efforts to show that changes are taking place as Bush finalises the new Iraq policy, administration officials told the New York Times.
They said Bush has decided to name Lt Gen David H Petraeus as the top American military commander in Iraq, part
of a broad revamping of the military team that will carry out the administration's new Iraq strategy.
General Petraeus will replace Gen George W Casey Jr, while the choice to succeed Gen John P Abizaid as the head of the Central Command is expected to be Adm William J Fallon, who is the top American military officer in the Pacific, officials said.
The changes are being made as the White House is considering an option to increase American combat power in Baghdad by five brigades as well as adding two battalions of reinforcements to the volatile province of Anbar in western Iraq, the Times said.
Bush, who yesterday said he would present details of his overall strategy for Iraq next week, and several top aides held a video teleconference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki and his top deputies about plans to add forces in the capital and other matters.
"The idea is to put the whole new team in at roughly the same time, and send some clear messages that we are trying a new approach," a senior administration official told the Times.
"It was clearly time to move the players around on the field," the official said, adding, "This helps the president to make the case that this is a fresh start."
Admiral Fallon, the Times said, would be the first Navy officer to serve as the senior officer of the Central Command, which is managing simultaneous ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Admiral Fallon is regarded within the military as one of its stronger regional combat commanders, and his possible
appointment also reflects a greater emphasis on countering Iranian power, a mission that relies heavily on naval forces and combat airpower to project American influence in the Persian Gulf, the paper said.
The troop increase option under discussion, the paper said, would focus on improving security in Baghdad. Under this
approach, two Army combat brigades would be sent to the capital during the first phase of the operation.
The expectation, the Times said, is that these three brigades would eventually be sent to Baghdad as well, though the president would have the option to limit reinforcements.
Part of the increase could be achieved by holding some units past their currently scheduled return home.
Scaling up by five brigades, the Times said, would more than double the number of American combat troops involved in security operations in the Iraqi capital.
The emphasis on Baghdad reflects the view that stability in the capital is a precondition for any broader effort to bring calm to the whole country.
