A shake-up in leadership, not policy

The nomination of policy wonk Ashton Carter to lead the Defense Department marks the most significant change to President Barack Obama's beleaguered national security team in nearly two years. But there is little indication the shake-up portends a broader shift in administration policy — nor is it clear that Carter can break into the president's tight inner circle.

Obama announced Carter's nomination Friday at the White House, praising the Pentagonveteran as an innovator and reformer who can quickly step back into an administration grappling with security challenges in the Mideast, Eastern Europe and elsewhere.

"When we talked about this job, we talked about how we're going to have to make smart choices precisely because there are so many challenges out there," Obama said.

Read the full article at the Associated Press.