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  "authors": [
    "Frederic Wehrey"
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    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
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Source: Getty

In The Media

The Chuck Hagel Nomination

The nomination of Chuck Hagel for U.S. defense secretary comes at a time when promoting America’s strategic interests will frequently compete with the pressures induced by the current era of austerity.

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By Frederic Wehrey
Published on Jan 14, 2013
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The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

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Source: KSA2

The nomination of Chuck Hagel for U.S. defense secretary comes at a time when promoting America’s strategic interests will frequently compete with the pressures induced by the current era of austerity. Speaking with KSA2, Carnegie's Frederic Wehrey noted that, if confirmed, Hagel would be operating under a new orientation towards military strategy that is largely reticent to commit troops to military interventions. “This is a man whose approach is guided by pragmatism and his experiences with the Vietnam war,” said Wehrey. Hagel will also have to address the challenge of how to project power in the Persian Gulf with less resources and less of a footprint. Ultimately, whether it is in regards to the U.S.-Israel relationship, the Iranian nuclear program, or projecting American power, the Hagel nomination represents the Obama administration’s commitment to a realist and pragmatic foreign policy, Wehrey concluded. 

About the Author

Frederic Wehrey

Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Frederic Wehrey is a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on governance, conflict, and security in Libya, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf.

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Frederic Wehrey
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Frederic Wehrey
SecurityMilitaryForeign PolicyNorth AmericaUnited StatesMiddle East

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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