Pentagon chief: A mix of blunt, charm, slip-ups

BAGHDAD (AP) — At once blunt and bubbly, poised but prone to gaffes, Leon Panetta showed on his first overseas trip as Pentagon chief that he has framed his agenda but not yet mastered the art of expressing it publicly in detail.

In a talk to troops in Afghanistan he said he was the CIA director (his previous job). The next day he invoked the language of George W. Bush in saying the U.S. is at war in Iraq because al-Qaida attacked on 9/11 — a message that runs counter to the view of his boss, President Barack Obama.

Panetta, 73, told reporters at the outset of his five-day journey that his main aim was to personally thank U.S. troops for their work and sacrifices over a decade …