Obama announces national security team
« Thread Started on Dec 1, 2008, 11:32am »

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Obama announces national security team
Posted: 11:30 AM ET
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama selected New York
Sen. Hillary Clinton for the position of secretary of state in a news
conference here Monday morning.

“Hillary’s appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of
my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances,” Obama
said. “I have no doubt that Hillary Clinton is the right person to lead our
State Department and to work with me in tackling this ambitious foreign policy
agenda.”

Obama also announced his decision to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates
in his current post, and named retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones as national
security adviser.

Obama tapped Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland
security, Eric Holder as attorney general, and Susan Rice as United Nations
ambassador.

“In this uncertain world, the time has come for a new beginning — a new
dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, and
to seize the opportunities embedded in those challenges,” Obama 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. The team that we have assembled here today is uniquely
suited to do just that… They share my pragmatism about the use of power, and
my sense of purpose about America’s role as a leader in the world.”