In a major restructuring of President Barack Obama's national security team, Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta will move to Pentagon to become new US Defence Secretary to replace Robert Gates while his top military commander in Afghanistan Gen David Petraeus is to takeover as the new CIA Director.
Obama will also have a US team in the war zone of Afghanistan.
General John Allen, currently the Deputy Commander for CENTCOM would be his new Commander in this war-torn country, while Ryan Crocker, a top US diplomat, is being sent as the next US Ambassador to Afghanistan.
"Given that the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan is scheduled to begin in July and Senate confirmation takes time, the new team is expected to be occupying their respective positions in phases till September, so as to ensure a seamless transition," a senior Obama administration official said.
President Obama is scheduled to make an announcement in this regard from the White House on Thursday.
It is the culmination of a multi-month careful process by the President, the official said, adding with this, he has put in place a set of nominees who will provide the strongest possible team to execute America's strategies and policies.
"Each of these nominations would have to be confirmed by the US Senate."
Panetta is expected to take over from Robert Gates as the next Defence Secretary on July 1.
"Panetta brings all the necessary qualities to be a superb Secretary of Defence, public service for four decades, CIA, White House Chief of Staff, member of Congress and served in the Army. And his son served in Afghanistan," the official said.
Architect of the US' current counter-insurgency policy which played a key role in successful US operations in Iraq, General Petraeus would retire from the US Army and done the civilian dress to take over the post of CIA Director at the beginning of September.
General Allen would replace Petraeus in Afghanistan, the official said. He has been closely involved with the national security team at the White House.
He was deputy of CENTCOM under Petraeus, before he was sent to Afghanistan.
Allen is likely to take over the command of the US forces in Afghanistan at the beginning of September.
"Croker would be leaving for Kabul as soon as he is confirmed by the Senate," the official said.
The major overhauling of the national security team, however, would not see any changes in the policy of the Obama Administration, the senior administration official said, adding in fact they have been brought in to implement the existing Afghan strategy.
"The (Afghan) strategy has been set forth by the President and has been signed onto by our ISAF colleagues and partners at the Lisbon Summit held this past November. This is a strategy that General Petraeus is implementing.
"It's the strategy that General Allen will implement in close consultation, again, assuming Senate confirmation, with Ambassador Crocker, and that is the beginning of a transition from international security lead, to Afghan lead in provinces over the course of this year," the official said in response to a question.
The drawdown of US forces would being this summer, which would lead ultimately to a full Afghan lead on the security side by the year 2014, the official said.
"Leon Panetta's role as Secretary of Defense will to implement that strategy, working with General Allen and Ambassador Crocker," he said, adding Afghanistan continues to be a challenge for them.
"We expect that General Petraeus will serve until General Allen can take up the post there. So there are several months now for General Petraeus to be continuing as the commander for ISAF and US Forces in Afghanistan," he said.
In addition to that, Obama would look to Panetta to continue the work that Gates has done on efficiencies and savings at the Pentagon, he added.
"This has been a signal effort by Bob Gates at the Pentagon and that is going to be continued and intensified," he said, referring to the announcements of additional cuts of some $400 billion over the next 12 years.
