Hagel nomination expected this week Chuck Hagel is expected to be nominated by US President Barack Obama to run the Pentagon despite a concerted campaign against the former Republican senator over his past positions on Israel and Iran. The announcement by Mr Obama, who returns from a holiday in Hawaii on Sunday, could come as early as Monday, administration officials said, setting the stage for a robust nomination fight in the Senate. Since the White House allowed Mr Hagel's name to be floated to succeed Leon Panetta as secretary of defence in December, Mr Hagel has been assailed over his past policy positions and statements. The criticism has been especially virulent from the right, with pro-Israel conservatives labelling him borderline anti-Semitic and questioning his stance on Iran and the defence budget. Many Democrats have been reluctant to support him, because he is a Republican and also over past statements criticising a Clinton-era diplomatic appointment as "openly, aggressively gay." But Mr Obama, without endorsing Mr Hagel directly, has defended him, while also noting that he had apologised for his comments about homosexuals. On top of policy complaints is the issue of diversity, and Democrats" desire that Mr Obama's new cabinet reflect the modern party's broadening ethnic base and support from women. Mr Obama has already replaced Hillary Clinton as secretary of state with John Kerry, the Massachusetts senator. Mr Hagel, a Vietnam veteran and former senior official at the veterans affairs department under Ronald Reagan, became alienated from many Republicans over his opposition to the second Iraq war. Since his name surfaced for the Pentagon, he has come under fire for comments in 2008 when he said "the political reality is that the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up there [in Congress]." Mr Hagel has also favoured opening talks with Hamas, the militant Islamist group, and sounded sceptical about military action against Iran.