Petraeus to head CIA, Panetta to replace Gates

In a major shakeup of President Barack Obamas security team, CIA director Leon Panetta will become the new US defence secretary, while General David Petraeus will replace him.Panetta is to replace Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who has said he plans to step down later this year. Petraeus, the commander leading military operations in Afghanistan, will be replaced there by Lieutenant General John Allen, who currently is deputy head of US Central Command.Meanwhile Ryan Crocker, a former US diplomat who served as ambassador in Pakistan and Iraq, will replace Ambassador Karl Eikenberry in Kabul. The overhaul highlights the tough choices Obama faces with a number of crucial national security jobs -- including defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- coming open in the next several months.In addition to Gatess departure, the militarys top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, finishes his term in September and Petraeus was long expected wrap up his tenure in Afghanistan by years end.Panetta -- who enjoys solid bipartisan support in Congress -- emerged as a strong candidate to succeed Gates as Pentagon chief after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared she had no interest in the job.Some former CIA officials and analysts have touted Petraeus as a perfect fit for the spy agency, citing his work with intelligence operatives battling Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere, as well as his experience in Washingtons policy debates.