A U.S. newspaper says the Bush administration has been unsuccessfully trying to find someone to oversee the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Washington Post says the White House wants to appoint a so-called "czar" to coordinate both the civilian and military efforts on the two battle fronts.
The Post says the person would report directly to President Bush, and would have the authority to issue directions to the State Department, Pentagon and other agencies.
The report says the White House has offered the job to at least three retired top-ranked generals, and all three have declined the post.
Former U.S. Marine General John J. "Jack" Sheehan, one of the generals, says Vice President Dick Cheney and others who still believe the Iraq war can be won, continue to hold more power within the administration than "pragmatists looking for a way out of Iraq."