In the continuing saga of the Bush administration's kicking up of its most controversial personnel, Bill Luti, the big boss of the Pentagon's Office of Special Plans, has been promoted to a White House position. From the White House press release today:

Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Stephen J. Hadley announced today, the appointment of William J. Luti as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Defense Policy and Strategy.

Most recently, Dr. Luti served as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.Prior to joining the Defense Department, Dr. Luti served as a Special Advisor for National Security Affairs to Vice President Cheney. He previously served for 26 years as a naval officer in a wide variety of operational and policy positions including command of an aviation squadron, an amphibious assault ship and an amphibious ready group.

Or maybe this is just a favor to Cheney after Bolton's nomination ran into choppy waters?

Meantime, you may want to read Jeff Goldberg's kind of non-expose on Doug "I never heard of Ahmad Chalabi" Feith's home library. I suppose it answers the question of, on the eve of his leaving the Pentagon, how does Feith think history will remember him. But one wishes, with Goldberg's amazing access to Feith, he would have done more with this.

(Thx to SW).

Posted by Laura at May 3, 2005 01:56 PM