Washington, D.C. ? President Bush nominated an intelligence veteran, former National Security Agency Director Mike McConnell, to be the country’s second national intelligence director. In a reshuffling of his national security team, Bush also chose his former top spymaster, John Negroponte, to be deputy secretary of state.

“Each of them will do good work in their new positions, and it is vital that they take up their new responsibilities promptly,” Bush said Friday.

“I would hope that they will be confirmed as quickly as possible,” said the president, speaking to the new Senate now under Democratic control.

The moves come as part of the White House effort to chart a new direction on Iraq and reshape Bush’s national security strategy with two years left in his presidency. The president plans to announce his new strategy for the war in a speech that could come as early as the middle of next week.