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FILE - In this June 26, 2008 file photo, then Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., speaks on foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington. (AP)
That's the word from a senior Obama administration official and from a source close to the process for selecting a successor to retiring Pentagon chief Leon Panetta.
They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the imminent nomination.
Hagel is a decorated Vietnam combat veteran and a former Nebraska senator.
His path to Senate confirmation might not be completely smooth. Former colleagues say he'll face tough questions about his stands on Israel and Iran, among other issues.