OK, now we have some clarity about what exactly Steve Hadley, the national security adviser, will do on Iraq and Afghanistan once Lieutenant General Doug Lute becomes war czar: Nothing.
Many have wondered whether Lute’s prospective position as war czar effectively overlaps with Hadley’s portfolio. While it’s not a position with any real history behind it, the war czar is supposed to facilitate interagency coordination and policy review on Iraq and Afghanistan, which is, at least on paper, the job of the national security adviser. But, apparently, not anymore. In his confirmation hearing, Lute dropped a bombshell: Hadley will no longer have any formal role on the wars.
There isn’t any precedent for a national security adviser during wartime to leave the war out of his or her responsibilities. There’s also reason to believe that Hadley will have more than just Iraq and Afghanistan taken off his plate. Responding to questions from Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), Lute emphasized keeping the wars in “regional perspective,” weighing in on events in Turkey and Pakistan (the latter will be “very high on my priority list,” Lute said) that influence the wars. Lute’s understanding of his duties are understandably expansive: “I would advise the president of the United States on execution and policy development matters,” he told Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA). Even though Lute described his position as “limited,” it still raises a big question about what Hadley will do on the Middle East and South Asia for the last year and a half of the Bush administration.
Sen. Jack Reed called for Hadley to be fired.
Update: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) insisted that Hadley isn’t diminished at all. He just needs help on these matters — otherwise he’d never get anything done.