Obama Picks Clinton, Gates to Lead National Security Team
CHICAGO -- President-elect Barack Obama, unveiling his national security team, said he will use the 'power of our moral example' in making a clean break from Bush administration policies on Iraq, Afghanistan and overseas diplomacy.
Mr. Obama gave pride of place on stage here to his former political rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, whom he is nominating as secretary of state, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will stay in his post.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Obama said he would devote new energy to diplomacy and other nonmilitary aspects of U.S. global power.
'The national security challenges we face are just as grave and just as urgent as our economic crisis,' he said. 'To succeed, we must pursue a new strategy that skillfully uses, balances, and integrates all elements of American power: our military and diplomacy; our intelligence and law enforcement; our economy and the power of our moral example.' (See the full text of Obama's remarks.)
Sen. Clinton, appearing somber, echoed the theme, saying U.S. interests 'cannot be protected and advanced by force alone.' Retired Marine Gen. James Jones, who was named national security adviser, stressed that the U.S. would need to use 'all elements of our national power and influence.'
The comments reflect Mr. Obama's belief that the Bush administration's handling of Iraq and Afghanistan suffered from an overreliance on the military and a failure to devote enough resources to political reconciliation and economic development.
A senior Obama aide said the incoming administration will create teams of diplomats and other civilian government officials who can be quickly deployed overseas after natural disasters or political upheavals to help fragile countries get back on their feet.
The aide declined to say whether the new spending would be offset by cuts in defense spending, which has increased significantly under President George W. Bush. Many Democratic lawmakers have begun arguing that the economic crisis and the skyrocketing federal budget deficit will force reductions in the Pentagon's budget, and senior military officials expect their funding to fall significantly.
Other members of the administration introduced Monday were Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, nominated to head the Department of Homeland Security; former Justice Department official Eric Holder, nominated for attorney general; and campaign adviser Susan Rice, who was tapped as ambassador to the United Nations.
The new cabinet includes several officials, notably Sen. Clinton and Mr. Gates, who have criticized some of Mr. Obama's positions on Iraq and other issues. Mr. Gates has argued against a firm timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq, while Sen. Clinton questioned Mr. Obama's stated willingness to negotiate with Iran.
Mr. Gates, who had often said he looked forward to leaving Washington with the rest of the Bush administration, said he felt an obligation to stay on at Mr. Obama's request. 'I must do my duty as they do theirs,' Mr. Gates said, speaking of U.S. military personnel.
Sen. Clinton, whose nomination was cleared once former President Bill Clinton agreed to publicly disclose all donors to his foundation, said she was swayed by a realization of the 'daunting tasks ahead for our country.'
'America cannot solve these crises without the world and the world cannot solve them without America,' she said.
Mr. Obama laughed off a question reminding him of disparaging remarks his supporters made about Sen. Clinton during the heated battle for the Democratic presidential nomination. He said their disagreements were magnified and he wants 'vigorous debate' in his administration.
'One of the dangers in a White House is that you get wrapped up in group think and everybody agrees with everything and there's no discussion and there are no dissenting views,' he said, adding that 'the buck will stop with me.'
Mr. Obama has spoken respectfully of President George W. Bush since the election, but he made clear that his policies will differ sharply.
Mr. Bush, for example, has consistently described Iraq as the central front in the war on terror. His administration has devoted most American military muscle and financial resources to the war in Iraq, leading Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to refer to the Afghan war as an 'economy of force mission.'
Mr. Obama said he would shift resources to Afghanistan, and described South Asia as the biggest danger to the U.S. 'The safe havens for terrorists that have been established there represent the single most important threat against the American people,' he said.
Mr. Obama also reiterated a campaign promise to order Mr. Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to begin withdrawing American combat forces from Iraq, with the goal of having all of them out of the country by the middle of 2010. He promised to listen to the advice of his senior commanders, some of whom are privately wary about so quick a withdrawal, but said his commitment to a drawing down of forces remained intact.
'I believe that 16 months is the right time frame,' he said, adding that the American-led war in Iraq was entering a 'transition period in which our mission will be changing.' |
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