Sen. Chuck Hagel not seeking third term

OMAHA, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., announced Monday he wouldn't seek re-election nor seek another political office.

"I will not seek a third term," Hagel, a vocal critic of the war in Iraq, said during a news conference in Omaha adding that he wouldn't be a candidate for "any other political office."

Calling representing Nebraska in Washington an "honor and privilege," Hagel thanked the electorate for the "trust you placed in me."

In announcing his retirement, Hagel fulfilled a promise he made to voters when he first ran for the Senate in 1996 that he would retire after two terms.