Obama Names Key Members of Foreign Policy, National Security Team

Statement by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

“I am deeply honored that the President-Elect has asked me to continue as Secretary of Defense.”

“Mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world, and with a profound sense of personal responsibility to and for our men and women in uniform and their families, I must do my duty – as they do theirs. How could I do otherwise?”

“Serving in this position for nearly two years – and especially the opportunity to lead our brave and dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Defense Civilians – has been the most gratifying experience of my life. I am honored to continue to serve them and our country, and I will be honored to serve President-Elect Obama.”

Remarks of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

“Mr. President-elect, thank you for this honor. If confirmed, I will give this assignment, your administration, and our country my all. I also want to thank my fellow New Yorkers, who have for eight years given me the joy of a job I love, with the opportunity to work on issues I care about deeply, in a State that I cherish. And you’ve also helped prepare me well for this new role. After all, New Yorkers aren’t afraid to speak their minds, and do so in every language.”

“Leaving the Senate is very difficult for me. But during the last few weeks, I thought often of our troops, serving bravely under difficult circumstances in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. I thought of those other Americans, in our foreign and civil services, working hard to promote and protect our interests around the world. And I thought of the daunting tasks ahead for our country: an economy that is reeling, a climate that is warming, and as we saw with the horrible events in Mumbai — threats that are relentless. The fate of our nation and the future of our children will be forged in the crucible of these global challenges. America cannot solve these crises without the world, and the world cannot solve them without America.”

“By electing Barrack Obama our next President, the American people have demanded not just a new direction at home, but a new effort to renew America’s standing in the world as a force for positive change. We know our security, our values, and our interests cannot be protected and advanced by force alone. Nor indeed by Americans alone. We must pursue vigorous diplomacy using all the tools we can muster, to build a future with more partners and fewer adversaries, more opportunities and fewer dangers, for all who seek freedom, peace, and prosperity.”

“America is a place founded on the idea that everyone should have the right to live up to his or her God-given potential. And it is that same ideal that must guide America’s purpose in the world today. And while we are determined to defend our freedoms and liberties at all costs, we also reach out to the world again, seeking common cause and higher ground. And so I believe the best way to continue serving my country, is to join President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Biden, the leaders here, and the dedicated public servants of the State Department on behalf of our nation at this defining moment.

“President Kennedy once said that, ‘engaging the world to meet the threats we face was the greatest adventure of our century.’ Well Mr. President-elect, I am proud to join you, on what will be a difficult and exciting adventure in this new century. And may God bless you, and all who serve with you, and our great country.”

Obama Names Key Members of Foreign Policy, National Security Team

By Jim Malone, Voice of America

President-elect Barack Obama announced the key members of his foreign policy and national security team Monday, including his choice of former political rival Hillary Clinton to be his secretary of state. In addition, Mr. Obama has decided to keep on the current defense secretary, Robert Gates. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.

Mr. Obama announced his foreign policy and national security team at a news conference in Chicago.

The president-elect said it was time for a new beginning in what he called an uncertain world, and he described his team as ready to lead what he called a new dawn of American leadership around the world.

“We will strengthen our capacity to defeat our enemies and support our friends,” Obama said. “We will renew old alliances and forge new and enduring partnerships. We will show the world once more that America is relentless in defense of our people, steady in advancing our interests, and committed to the ideals that shine as a beacon to the world–democracy and justice, opportunity and unyielding hope–because American values are America’s great export to the world.”

Mr. Obama’s choice of Hillary Clinton to be his secretary of state has easily been the most surprising development so far in the presidential transition period.

Mr. Obama described his former political rival as someone who commands respect in world capitols and who can carry out his commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore alliances.

Mrs. Clinton said it would be difficult to leave the Senate, but added she was excited by the challenge of representing the U.S. abroad.

“We know our security, our values and our interests cannot be protected and advanced by force alone, nor indeed, by Americans alone,” Clinton said. “We must pursue vigorous diplomacy using all the tools we can muster to build a future with more partners and fewer adversaries, more opportunities and fewer dangers for all who seek freedom, peace and prosperity.”

In order to clear the way for Hillary Clinton’s nomination as secretary of state, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, agreed to disclose the names of donors to his charitable foundation. Mr. Clinton will also clear his schedule and speeches with the State Department to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

Mr. Obama’s choice for defense secretary is Robert Gates, the man who currently holds the job under President Bush.

The president-elect said Gates has the respect of members of Congress from both political parties for his pragmatism and competence.

Gates also appeared at the news conference and said he was pleased to continue in his current job.

“I am deeply honored that the president-elect has asked me to continue as secretary of defense,” Gates said. “Mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world, and with a profound sense of personal responsibility to and for our men and women in uniform and their families, I must do my duty as they do theirs. How could I do otherwise?”

Mr. Obama announced other appointments as well, including Eric Holder as his choice for attorney general and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as the next secretary of Homeland Security.

In addition, Mr. Obama has tapped retired Marine Corps General James Jones to be his national security advisor, and Susan Rice as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

At his news conference, Mr. Obama was also asked about the recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India.

Mr. Obama reiterated that the United States has only one president at a time. But he spoke out forcefully against the terror attacks and said his administration would support India’s efforts to catch those responsible.

“Both myself and the team that stands beside me are absolutely committed to eliminating the threat of terrorism and that is true wherever it is found,” the president-elect said. “We cannot have, we cannot tolerate, a world in which innocents are being killed by extremists based on twisted ideologies, and we are going to have to bring the full force of our power, not only military but also diplomatic, economic and political to deal with those threats.”

Mr. Obama will be sworn in as the country’s 44th president on January 20, and his cabinet members will have to be confirmed by the Senate before they can take up their new posts.

Gates Brings Stability and Diversity to Obama Cabinet

By Al Pessin, Voice of America

President-elect Barack Obama has re-appointed President Bush’s Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to serve the new administration next year – a move analysts say brings experience, stability and some political diversity to his cabinet. VOA’s Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

It was not that long ago that Monday’s announcement seemed highly unlikely. In April, with the major party nominees not yet selected and with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton running campaigns highly critical of the Bush administration’s Iraq policy, Secretary Gates was asked whether he might consider staying on if asked.

“The circumstances under which I would do that are inconceivable to me,” he said.

The answer got a laugh from reporters in the Pentagon Briefing Room, and he repeated it many times in the following months. But since the election four weeks ago, Secretary Gates has kept a low profile, and on Monday he stood on the stage in Chicago as President-elect Obama made this announcement.

“At a time when we face unprecedented transition amidst two wars, I’ve asked Secretary Robert Gates to continue as secretary of defense, and I’m pleased he has accepted,” he said.

Those inconceivable circumstances had come to pass. Secretary Gates said he decided to stay because he could not shirk his duty while American men and women in uniform are continuing to do theirs in two war zones.

“Serving in this position for nearly two years – and especially the opportunity to lead our brave and dedicated soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Defense civilians – has been the most gratifying experience of my life,” said Gates. “I am honored to continue to serve them and our country, and I will be honored to serve President-Elect Obama.”

That is a good insight into the personality of the soft-spoken 65-year-old secretary. He is a technocrat, longtime intelligence officer and former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, and also a former university president who becomes emotional when speaking about U.S. troops who have been killed and injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He is a man of considerable experience and strong opinions, including a belief in the need to use more U.S. diplomatic and economic power in the world, and less military power. But he is also known as a pragmatist. He has opposed the establishment of a firm timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, but he endorsed the new U.S.-Iraqi agreement which contains just that.

President-elect Obama said he did not check Secretary Gates’ political affiliation. Speaking about Gates, and also the nominee for Secretary of State, his former opponent Senator Hillary Clinton, President-elect Obama said Monday he expects members of his cabinet to have strong personalities and strong opinions, but also to implement his policies and to share his view of the world.

“They would not have agreed to join my administration, and I would not have asked them to be part of this administration unless we shared a core vision of what’s needed to keep the American people safe and to ensure prosperity here at home and peace abroad,” he said.

Mr. Obama also said he is committed to keeping the U.S. military the strongest in the world.

Analyst Lawrence Korb of the Center for American Progress says the president-elect went for experience and stability at the Pentagon over any desire to insert a loyal Democrat or make dramatic changes at a time of war.

“What it means is that Senator Obama feels comfortable with him in terms of his plan to withdraw from Iraq, his plan to emphasize diplomacy more than the use of military force, and is looking to have continuity in the midst of all of the other crises going on at home and abroad,” Korb said.

At the conservative Heritage Foundation, analyst Mackenzie Eaglen says Gates will provide Obama with independent advice, and will help him deal with senior military officers – many of whom are concerned about having a president with no military experience and a plan to re-focus their efforts on withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq as quickly as possible.

“He is seen as practical, realistic, a pragmatist,” said Eaglen. “He’s basically seen as generally non-partisan, not an ideology. And that has built him up some credibility. Given that Secretary Gates can provide some continuity with overseeing these strong uniformed personalities and priorities, [it] could end up being a smart decision.”

When he was first appointed defense secretary by President Bush two years ago, Gates said the outcomes of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the global war on terrorism, would “shape our world for decades to come.” President-elect Obama has given him some additional time to help determine how those wars end and what the world looks like afterward.

Some reports had predicted Secretary Gates’ renewed tenure would have a specific time limit – a sort of extended transition to a new secretary. But analysts had worried that would weaken him, and nothing was said about it on Monday.

President-elect Obama did say, however, that he will change the Defense Department’s mission, not only ordering the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and an increase of troops in Afghanistan, but also treating terrorist safe havens in South Asia as what he called Monday “the single most important threat against the American people.” He said he will mobilize resources and focus his administration’s attention on defeating the terrorist groups, which are based largely in Pakistan.

Obama Taps Gates to Keep Serving as Defense Secretary

By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will remain in the Pentagon’s top post when President-elect Barack Obama’s administration takes office.

Obama, who also announced his other nominees for top national security posts today, cited the necessity of continuity as the United States fights wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as his rationale for asking Gates to stay.

In a statement, Gates said he is “deeply honored” that the president-elect asked him to continue serving.

“Mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world, and with a profound sense of personal responsibility to and for our men and women in uniform and their families, I must do my duty — as they do theirs,” Gates said in his statement. “How could I do otherwise?

“Serving in this position for nearly two years — and especially the opportunity to lead our brave and dedicated soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and defense civilians — has been the most gratifying experience of my life. I am honored to continue to serve them and our country, and I will be honored to serve President-elect Obama,” Gates said.

Obama also announced his intent to nominate the following people to serve in his administration:

— New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state;

— Retired Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones Jr. to be national security advisor;

— Eric H. Holder to be attorney general;

— Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to be secretary of homeland security; and

— Susan Rice to hold Cabinet rank as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Gates will not have to go through the Senate confirmation process. President George W. Bush nominated Gates as defense secretary in November 2006. The Senate approved the nomination, and he was sworn into office in December 2006 to succeed Donald H. Rumsfeld. Gates will be the first Cabinet officer to continue serving in an administration from a different political party.

Clinton has represented New York since her election in 2000 and has served on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She served as the chairwoman of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform in 1993. She has supported military action in Afghanistan, and has opposed recent actions in Iraq. In the Senate, she sponsored legislation to increase the size of the Army and has consistently worked to help military families. If confirmed, she will replace Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Jones retired in 2007 after serving as NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command. Before that assignment, he was the Marine Corps commandant. Jones received his commission through Georgetown University in Washington in 1967 and served in Vietnam. He received the Silver Star for his actions there. As NATO commander, he led the expansion of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. As national security advisor, he will help to coordinate all aspects of U.S. power in the war on terror. He is currently chairman of the Atlantic Council of the United States. If approved, he would replace Stephen Hadley.

Holder served as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration. He also has served as a judge, a prosecutor and as a front-line lawyer in the Justice Department. A native New Yorker, Holder received his law degree from Columbia University. If confirmed, he would succeed Michael Mukasey.

If confirmed, Napolitano would be responsible for the Coast Guard as part of her portfolio as homeland security secretary. A lawyer, she served as Arizona’s attorney general before being elected as governor in 2002. Napolitano would replace Michael B. Chertoff.

Rice served on the National Security Council in the Clinton administration as assistant secretary of state for African affairs. She will replace Zalmay Khalilzad in the U.N. post.

Gates Provides Continuity as Nation Fights Two Wars, Obama Says

By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

President-elect Barack Obama today cited the need for continuity as the United States fights two wars in announcing that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will remain at the Pentagon when his administration takes over next month.

“At a time when we face an unprecedented transition amidst two wars, I have asked Robert Gates to continue as secretary of defense, and I’m pleased that he’s accepted,” Obama said at a news conference in Chicago.

“He restored accountability. He won the confidence of military commanders, and the trust of our brave men and women in uniform and their families,” he said. “He earned the respect of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle for his pragmatism and competence. He knows that we need a sustainable national security strategy, and that includes a bipartisan consensus at home.”

The president-elect said he will tell the secretary to end the war in Iraq through a successful transition to Iraqi control.

“We will also ensure that we have the strategy — and resources — to succeed against al-Qaida and the Taliban,” he said. “As Bob said not too long ago, Afghanistan is where the war on terror began, and it is where it must end.”

Gates thanked the president-elect for his confidence.

“I am deeply honored that the president-elect has asked me to continue as secretary of defense,” Gates said in Chicago. “Mindful that we are engaged in two wars and face other serious challenges at home and around the world, and with a profound sense of personal responsibility to and for our men and women in uniform and their families, I must do my duty as they do theirs. How could I do otherwise?

“Serving in this position for nearly two years, and especially the opportunity to lead our brave and dedicated soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Defense civilians, has been the most gratifying experience of my life,” the secretary continued. “I am honored to continue to serve them and our country, and I will be honored to serve President-elect Obama.”

Obama said the national security challenges facing the country are as grave and urgent as the economic crisis.

“We are fighting two wars,” he said. “Old conflicts remain unresolved, and newly assertive powers have put strains on the international system. The spread of nuclear weapons raises the peril that the world’s deadliest technology could fall into dangerous hands. Our dependence on foreign oil empowers authoritarian governments and endangers our planet.”

The United States must be as strong at home as it is overseas, and American economic power must sustain military strength, diplomatic leverage and global leadership, he said.

“The common thread linking these challenges is the fundamental reality that in the 21st century, our destiny is shared with the world’s,” Obama said. “From our markets to our security; from our public health to our climate – we must act with the understanding that, now more than ever, we have a stake in what happens across the globe.

“And as we learned so painfully on 9/11, terror cannot be contained by borders, nor safety provided by oceans alone,” he said.

Obama called for a new dawn of American leadership to face and master the challenges of the 21st century.

“We will strengthen our capacity to defeat our enemies and support our friends,” he said. “We will renew old alliances and forge new and enduring partnerships. We will show the world once more that America is relentless in defense of our people, steady in advancing our interests and committed to the ideals that shine as a beacon to the world — democracy and justice, opportunity and unyielding hope — because American values are America’s greatest export to the world.”

The president-elect also announced his choices for other posts: New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state, Eric Holder as attorney general, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security, retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones Jr. as national security advisor and Susan Rice as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.