Obama nominates Ashton Carter for Pentagon chief

US President Barack Obama nominated longtime Defence Department understudy Ashton Carter as his fourth defense secretary on Friday to replace Chuck Hagel, the lone Republican in Obama’s Cabinet, who resigned last week after disagreements with the White House.
In Carter, Obama gets a policy expert who has worked for 11 defense secretaries. The 60-year-old Carter pronounced himself ready to give Obama candid, strategic advice once he clears U.S. Senate confirmation, which should move fairly quickly.
Carter will take charge as the U.S. military fights Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, helps combat Ebola in West Africa, winds down in Afghanistan, and continues to deal with spending cuts from Congress, Obama said.
"He knows the Department of Defense inside and out, all of which means that on Day One, he's going to hit the ground running," Obama said.