Reply #53: Pentagon Shakes Up Emergency Hierarchy

[zbdent]

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20051229%2F2213935858.htm&sc=1152&ewp=ewp_news_1205doomsday&floc=NW_1-T

(on netscape's home page, the headline is "Bush Shakes Up Pentagon's 'Doomsday' Emergency Plans")

A little-noticed holiday week executive order from President Bush moved the Pentagon's intelligence chief to the No. 3 spot in the succession hierarchy behind Rumsfeld. The second spot would be the deputy secretary of defense, but that position currently is vacant. The Army secretary, which long held the No. 3 spot, was dropped to sixth.

<snip>

Technically, the line of succession is assigned to specific positions, rather than the current individuals holding those jobs.

But in its current incarnation, the doomsday plan moves to near the top three undersecretaries who are Rumsfeld loyalists and who previously worked for Vice President Dick Cheney when he was defense secretary.

<snip>

My take? They're really circling the wagons . . . hold on to your hats, MIHOPers . . .