WASHINGTON - The US administration is looking for a "coordinator" to bridge the gap between the government and military running of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense Department confirmed Wednesday.
The idea comes in response to calls to have "somebody in the White House who could act as a coordinator for the civilian side of the government along with the Defense Department," defense spokesman Robert Gates told reporters.
The Washington Post earlier reported that the administration had so far been unable to find anyone willing to fill the high-powered "czar" job, with at least three retired four-star generals turning down the position.
"This person is not running the war," Gates said. "This czar term is, I think, kind of silly. The person is better described as a coordinator and a facilitator."
"The idea is to have someone in the White House who would work as part of the National Security Council so they're not detached from it, but also have a direct reporting line to the president," he said.
Able to respond to military requests, the coordinator would be "somebody empowered by the president to call a cabinet secretary and say, 'The president would like to know why you haven't delivered what's been asked for yet.'"
President George W. Bush is creating the job to coordinate civilian and military aspects of the two conflicts, the Post said, and whoever fills it will have the power to order other agencies to act.
But, despite the job carrying the title of assistant to the president, one of the highest ranks in the White House, at least one candidate turned it down saying it would be difficult to work alongside hawkish Vice President Dick Cheney, the newspaper reported.
The Post said the White House had also been turned down by retired army general Jack Keane and retired Air Force general Joseph Ralston.
The White House faces an ongoing struggle to find supporters for its war policy, more than five years after leading the invasion of Afghanistan and four years on from the invasion of Iraq.
Bush is currently in a tough battle over war funding and pullout schedules with Congress, controlled now by the opposition Democrats.
04/11/2007 23:45 GMT