Obama names Hillary, Gates

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-02-2008 09:11

US President-elect Barack Obama has announced former rival Hillary Clinton as his choice for secretary of state.

He also says Robert Gates will remain as defense secretary as the incoming administration seeks to wind down the US role in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President-elect Barack Obama announces that Sen. Hillary Clinton will be his choice for Secretary of State during a news conference in Chicago December 1, 2008. (John Gress/Reuters)

Obama announced his major officials for foreign affairs and national security on Monday, a week after his economic team.

Obama first introduced Clinton.

Barack Obama, US President-elect, said, "I have known Hillary Clinton as a friend, a colleague, a source of counsel, and a tough campaign opponent. She possesses an extraordinary intelligence and a remarkable work ethic. I am proud that she will be our next Secretary of State."

Clinton says the US must rely on its friends to help confront threats like global warming and terrorism -- a rebuke to the go-it-alone approach of President George W. Bush.

President-elect Barack Obama stands with his national security team nominees Eric Holder (Attorney General), Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano (Homeland Security), Robert Gates (continuing as Secretary of Defense) and Vice President-elect Joe Biden during a news conference in Chicago, December 1, 2008.(John Gress/Reuters)

Gates' presence in Chicago made him a visible symbol of the transition in power.

Obama says he will give the military a new mission as soon as he takes office. He calls it "responsibly ending the war in Iraq through a successful transition to Iraqi control."

The President-elect also named his national security adviser, head of homeland security, attorney general and UN ambassador.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei