The Obama administration passed over the former head of Central Command for the post of Iraq ambassador, even after the president's own national security adviser offered him the job.
Several administration sources told FOX News on Thursday that retired Gen. Anthony Zinni was originally offered the job by security adviser James Jones. They said Vice President Joe Biden even congratulated him.
But then Zinni reportedly finally learned from Jones -- after several unanswered calls to him -- that Christopher Hill, former assistant secretary of state and chief negotiator for North Korea, was getting the position.
A State Department source said the administration doubled back on the offer to the former commander of U.S. Central Command and Iraq war critic because officials did not want to send a military general to serve in Iraq.
"The relationship to Iraq's government is changing in character. It wants to be viewed as a sovereign nation and sending a former military man there would have had the wrong symbolism at this time," the source said.
Zinni said he was "bothered" by the way the decision was handled, in an interview conducted Tuesday with The Washington Times, one day after Hill's appointment was announced. Zinni apparently had already started packing in preparation for the job when he learned of his replacement.
"This administration really has shown a love-hate relationship with senior military," a retired military general said. "Virtually all of the retired military who supported Obama as a candidate have fallen off any short lists."
However, FOX News has confirmed that Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, who served as the head of the U.S. and NATO military mission in Afghanistan, is the administration's choice for ambassador to Afghanistan.
FOX News' Jennifer Griffin and Justin Fishel contributed to this report.
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