United States Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel is stepping down, the New York Times
reported Monday citing Pentagon sources.
President Barack Obama will make a formal announcement
later in the day, according to the Times.
Hagel, 68, is the sole Republican on the Democratic
president's national defense team.
Obama reportedly asked for his resignation after the
collapse of the Democratic majority in Congress following
midterm elections, and also reflects disagreements over how to
carry on the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) fundamentalists
in Iraq and Syria, the newspaper wrote.
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