What should Panetta make his top priority?

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Defense Secretary Leon Panetta takes over the Pentagon on Friday with as much on his plate, or more, as any of his predecessors. Y'got the big war, Afghanistan; and the smaller one, Iraq; and the next smaller one, Libya; and then the metaphorical war with Congress and the military-industrial complex over how to cut DoD spending; and a few smaller miniature wars, in Yemen and Somalia -- and these are just the ones we know about. Although many senior officials from Robert Gates' Defense Department are staying on for now in Panetta's, which will provide a measure of continuity, the first day in this job will be a doozie.

Obviously, Panetta needs to get a lot of high-level briefs, meet with senior officials, find the official SecDef washroom, get lost on his way somewhere in the Building -- well, maybe the secretary of defense is the only person who doesn't have that experience on the first day in the Pentagon. But once he gets the lay of the land, Panetta is going to have to start making decisions.

What do you think? Where do you think he should focus his attention first?

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