US Defense Secretary Hagel resigning

The New York Times first reported that Chuck Hagel was to quit his post as US Secretary of Defense, followed by news agencies Reuters and the Associated Press, both citing anonymous sources.

The 68-year-old Vietnam War veteran would appear alongside Obama later in the day to announce the move, a senior administration official later told reporters.

"In October, Secretary Hagel began speaking with the president about departing the administration... Those conversations have been ongoing for several weeks," the official said. "A successor will be named in short order, but Secretary Hagel will remain as Defense Secretary unitl his replacement is confirmed by the United States Senate."

President Barack Obama was scheduled to deliver a press conference at 11:10 Eastern Standard Time (1610 GMT/UCT, 1710 CET) on Monday.

Hagel, a former Republican senator, took up the Pentagon's top job early in 2013.

"Over the past two years, Secretary Hagel helped manage an instense period of transition for the United States Armed Forces, including the drawdown in Afghanistan, the need to prepare our forces for future missions, and tough fiscal choices to keep our military strong and ready," the official said.

Hagel had faced domestic criticism for his handling of the campaign in Afghanistan and the US-led response to the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria.

The New York Times in its original report cited three front-runners for the defense job: Michele Flournoy, former under secretary of defense; Ashton Carter, a former deputy secretary of defense; and Democrat Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

msh/jr (AFP, AP, Reuters)