Copyrighted Image? DMCA | Chuck Hagel, who is reportedly the frontrunner to be the next Pentagon chief, has made a lot of friends in the U.S. foreign-policy establishment and at the top levels of Obama's inner circle. Even though he is a Republican, Hagel is co-chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. And he has often won plaudits from the elite press for his early opposition to the Iraq war. But Republicans aside, Hagel's real opposition will likely come from the pro-Israel lobby in Washington. While the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) never takes formal positions on nominees, if the group is asked by senators for its view on Hagel, it's unlikely AIPAC will have a kind word. |