Hagel's departure does not portend broader shake-up

Washington

RIGHT after US President Barack Obama announced the resignation of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at the White House, he walked over to a meeting of his entire National Security Council staff, where he told the embattled group that they were critical to an ambitious foreign policy agenda.

The timing was a coincidence, but it seemed an unmistakable sign that Mr Hagel's departure does not portend a broader internal shake-up. If anything, it may represent the final triumph of a White House-centric approach to national security.