Obama poised to introduce Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State: reports

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will introduce
his national security team Monday with Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of
state, media reports said Sunday.

The introduction will come amid growing security concerns after last week's
terrorist attacks -- apparently targeting U.S. citizens and the pro-U.S. Indian
government -- and security challenges from nuclear-armed North Korea, Iran and
Afghanistan.
Obama will also likely announce Robert Gates and James Jones as his nominees for
secretary of defense and national security adviser respectively at a news
conference Monday morning in Chicago where his presidential transition team is
headquertered.
Obama recently asked on Gates to retain his job for at least one more year so the
incumbent defense secretary, popular with both Congressional Democrats and
Republicans, could deal steadily with the ongoing two wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan to allow the incoming administration to focus on the economy.
Gates seems to be Obama's choice to fulfill his campaign pledge to include at
least one Republican figure in his Cabinet to embody bipartisan politics.
Obama has also stressed the need to maintain continuity in national security in
the presidential transition at a time when the U.S. is facing two wars and the
worst economic crisis in decades.
The President-elect recently said on CBS program "60 Minutes," that "I think it's
important to get a national security team in place because transition periods are
potentially times of vulnerability to a terrorist attack."
The Mumbai attack targeted tourist hotels and other places frequented by American
and other Western citizens amid a recent warning by U.S. intelligence authorities
of a possible terror attack on the New York subway system.
Jones, former NATO commander, is a retired marine general who is expected to
coordinate differing positions of political heavyweights Mrs. Clinton and Vice
President Joseph Biden, former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, and Gates and other national security members without political
ambitions.
Critics say Sen. Clinton's nomination may cause a major problem within the
national security team due to her political ambitions and her more conservative
position on major foreign issues, including North Korea and Iran.
They note the awkward relationship between dovish Secretary of State Colin Powell
and such neo cons as Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and Undersecretary of State John Bolton under the first term of the
George W. Bush administration.
Mrs. Clinton once dubbed "irresponsible and frankly naive" Obama's plans to meet
with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il or leaders of any other rogue states without
preconditions. She also voted for the war on Iraq which Obama opposed.
Clinton reportedly decided to accept the proposal for her nomination only after
Obama promised her direct access to him without going through the national
security adviser and the right to select senior State Department officials.
Proponents say the Obama administration needs to use Clinton's experience and
even bipartisan support to muddle through the rare economic and security
challenges facing the young government of Obama who lacks administrative
experience.
"Bipartisan support of this team really is of the essence right now," Sen.
Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) told an ABC program This Week. "I think they're
excellent selections. I think it will be a strong team. I would just say, as an
individual, I look forward to working with each one of them."
Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) echoed Lugar's theme.
"I think it's a superb group of people. Experienced, pragmatic. People I think
who will also work well together, and I think they are a group of very talented
people, whose talent is being enhanced by the dialogue between President-elect
Obama and all of these individuals."
hdh@yna.co.kr
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