Commentaries, Opinions, Analysis, And Editorials On The Firing Of U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel

How Obama Dumped Hagel -- Glenn Thrush, Politico

He ‘just wasn’t the man for the job,’ president concluded.

When President Obama first summoned Chuck Hagel to the Oval Office in October, he wanted to know how his Pentagon chief planned to cope with the dangerous new threat posed by the Islamic State that had drawn the reluctant president back into war in the Middle East, not to mention getting a sense of Hagel’s other plans for the final two years of Obama’s presidency.

But after several lackluster, low-energy sessions, Obama was so unimpressed by the performance of his laconic, self-effacing defense secretary that he decided Hagel “just wasn’t the man for the job,” according to a senior administration official. That set in motion the decision that led to Hagel’s decorous dumping on Monday by a president who almost never fires anybody—and never admits it when he does.

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Commentaries, Opinions, Analysis, And Editorials On The Firing Of U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel

Hagel Takes a Bullet for Obama: Inside the Defense Secretary’s Sudden Firing -- Shane Harris & Tim Mak, Daily Beast
Where did it go wrong for US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel? -- Jonathan Marcus, BBC
Obama, Hagel Couldn't Make Relationship Work -- Alexis Simendinger, Real Clear Politics
Chuck Hagel: The Fall Guy -- David Rothkopf, Foreign Policy
Hagel out; Obama’s inner circle is intact -- Debra J. Saunders, SFGate
Chuck Hagel’s resignation underscores defense rifts -- Philip Ewing and Jennifer Epstein, Politico
Hagel's exit from Pentagon still leaves administration divided -- W.J. Hennigan & Christi Parsons, L.A. Times
Chuck Hagel departure sets up new battle -- Kimberly Atkins, Boston Herald
President Obama needs to look in mirror about policies that are failing -- James Warren, New York Daily News
Pushing out Hagel not shake-up Obama needs -- David Rothkopf, CNN
Requiem for Chuck Hagel’s many Pentagon reviews -- Dan Lamothe, Washington Post
The Hagel Opportunity -- Thomas Donnelly, Weekly Standard
What Chuck Hagel Got Right -- Michale O'Hanlon, WSJ
On replacement, caution urged -- Eugene Robinson, Saint Louis Dispatch
Chuck Hagel’s far from first in his post 
to clash with President Obama -- Jaclyn Cashman, Boston Herald
A Shake-Up Stops at One -- Mark Landler, NYT
Hagel resignation viewed as inevitable by some -- Euronews
Hagel was 'a very loyal soldier' -- Deutsche Welle
Who On Earth Would Want to Replace Hagel? -- Aaron MacLean, Washington Free Beacon
Hagel move not seen scuttling efforts on innovation, warships -- Reuters
Hagel Exit Shows Obama Has Taken Power Away From Pentagon -- Jonathan Allen and Mike Dorning, Bloomberg Businessweek
White House seeks a stronger hand at Pentagon to manage crises -- Greg Jaffe and Rajiv Chandrasekara, Washington Post
Chuck Hagel's firing won't help U.S. foreign policy -- L.A. Times
Firing Chuck Hagel Won't Solve Obama's Foreign Policy Problems -- John B. Judis, New Republic
Hagel's Departure is Bad News for the Asia Rebalance -- Michael Green, Foreign Policy
Chuck Hagel: A Legacy -- Andrew Stiles, Washington Free Beacon