Obama Announces Hilary Clinton as Secretary of States

The United States President-elect Barack Obama on Monday 1st December,2008 announce his national security team.

The team include former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of states and incumbent Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who would retain his post as Defence Secretary.
"To succeed, we must pursue a new strategy that power: our military and diplomacy, our intelligence and low enforcement, our economy and the power of our moral example," said the president-elect Barack Obama.

He said a newly completed agreement between Iraq and the Bush administration covering U.S. troop presence signals "a transition period in which our mission is changing" after a long war. The president-elect campaigned on a call to pull out most combat troops within 16 months of taking office, a period he said he still believes "is the right time frame."

Obama also introduced retired Marine Gen. James Jones as National security adviser, former Justice Department official Eric Holder as attorney general, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security and Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations
"I assembled this team because I am a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions," he said.

Obama now has selected half the members of his Cabinet, and is filling out the top echelons of his administration at an unusually quick pace during his transition as he seeks to fulfill his goal of being able to "hit the ground running" when he takes the oath of office on Jan. 20.