Bush Places Condi In Charge Of Iraq and Afghanistan

The purpose of the Iraq Stabilization Group is to "crack the whip, frankly," said a senior administration official, who described a sense of urgency amid persistent trouble in Iraq and polls showing declining confidence in President Bush.

Several Clinton administration officials have called on Bush to take the civilian reconstruction job away from the Pentagon. Former deputy defense secretary John J. Hamre said the Defense Department is managing tasks "for which it has no background or competence."