Obama selects Panetta for defense secretary, Petraeus for CIA
Washington (CNN) -- In the most extensive reshaping of the Obama administration's national security team to date, the president will name CIA director Leon Panetta as his nominee to succeed Robert Gates as defense secretary, a senior defense official and another U.S. official said Wednesday.
It took a meeting with President Obama to convince Panetta to accept the job, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN. Panetta has been happy serving at the CIA, but "believes strongly in public service and answering the call from the commander-in-chief," the source said. Obama will also name Gen. David Petraeus, now the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, as the replacement for Panetta as CIA director, a senior defense official said. The president will nominate Lt. Gen. John Allen to replace Petraeus, a senior U.S. official said, and will nominate veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker as the next U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, sources said Wednesday.