The announcement by the Pentagon ended weeks of speculation over who would succeed General Eric Shinseki, who retired from active duty last weekend.

Shinseki had clashed with US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on issues ranging from funding for a mobile artillery system to the size of the US force in Iraq.

In a succinct statement, the Pentagon said: "The president has nominated Army General (retired) Peter J. Schoomaker for appointment to the rank of general and assignment as chief of staff, US Army, Washington, D.C."

The selection of Schoomaker for the post reflected the prominent place of special operations forces in Rumsfeld's vision for transforming the US army into a leaner and more mobile force capable of intervening in far-away crises on short notice.

Schoomaker led the US Special Operations Command from November 1997 until his retirement in December 2000.

He served in infantry and armor units in Germany and South Korea early in his military career, but spent much of his last 20 years in uniform in command of elite army special forces and joint special operations units.

Special operations forces played an outsized role in the war in Afghanistan, where they hooked up with indigenous rebel groups and synchronized their movements with a US air campaign.

In Iraq, they led a still largely secret campaign to seize control of the western desert and prevent Iraqi forces from using it to launch Scud missiles at Israel.

Rumsfeld's choice, however, is likely to raise eyebrows because it suggests that either no active duty general wanted the job or that the secretary believed none were up to it.

It follows the forced resignation of his army secretary. Thomas White. He was replaced with James Roche, who has been the secretary of the air force.

Army General Tommy Franks, who commanded US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, was offered the top army job only to turn it down in favor of retirement.

His deputy, Lieutenant General John Abizaid, had been considered a leading contender for army chief of staff, but was considered too valuable to move from the US Central Command.

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