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Obama names Clinton and Gates to key posts

WASHINGTON: President-elect Barack
Obama nominated Hillary Clinton as
secretary of state yesterday, bringing a
former rival on the campaign trail into
his cabinet, and announced Defence
Secretary Robert Gates will stay on the
job at the Pentagon.
Clinton, 61, his former rival, will leave
her job as the senator from New York if
confirmed to become the nation’s next
top diplomat.
The reappointment of Gates, 65, will
ensure a smooth transition with wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gates became the head of the Pen-
tagon under President George W. Bush
in December 2006, but he will be given
a new mission under Obama to bring
the conflict in Iraq to an end.
“I will be giving Secretary Gates and
our military a new mission as soon as I
take office: responsibly ending the war
in Iraq through a successful transition
to Iraqi control,” Obama said in a news
conference in Chicago.
He said during the campaign he would
remove all US troops from Iraq within 16
months of taking office on Jan 20.
Obama’s appointments require Sen-
ate confirmation.
“We must pursue a new strategy
that skillfully uses, balances, and inte-
grates all elements of American power,”
Obama said.
In addition to Iraq and Afghanistan,
Obama’s national security and foreign
policy team will have to address the nu-
clear activities and Iran and North Korea,
the diminished US image in the world,
and the difficult challenge of closing the
prison for suspects in the war on terror-
ism at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Obama also named former Marine
general James Jones to serve as na-
tional security advisor, and his foreign
policy aide during the campaign, Susan
Rice, to become US ambassador to the
United Nations.
Obama nominated Eric Holder to
attorney general, the top law enforce-
ment official, and and Arizona governor
Janet Napolitano to head the Homeland
Security Department.
Naming Clinton to head the State
Department would bring a high-profile
figure into his cabinet and further help
heal wounds among Democrats over
the dragged-out contest for the party’s
nomination.
Many Democrats who supported the
former first lady refused to back Obama’s
candidacy for the White House.
“I have no doubt that Hillary Clinton
is the right person to head our State
Department,” Obama said.
Asking Gates to stay on also helps
Obama fulfill a pledge to have a biparti-
san cabinet. Gates is a registered inde-
pendent but has served in numerous
Republican administrations. – dpa

Almost all stranded

Malaysians have
returned home
Protesters consolidate
BANGKOK: Almost all the stranded Malaysians have re-
turned home a week after Thailand’s two major airports
were closed down by anti-government protesters.
A Malaysian Embassy official said only 80 more people,
whose flights were cancelled in the past few days, were still
in the capital and were expected to go
home by today or tomorrow. EPAPIX
hold on Thai airport
“We have about 200 people still Suvarnabhumi airport, suggesting Indonesian President Susilo
registered with us but not all are it is merely shifting its focus rather Bambang Yudhoyono said Jakarta
stranded as their actual flights are for than giving up. Government House had offered to hold the foreign
the coming days. They are keeping site was hit by several grenades in ministers’ meeting of the 10-member
in touch with our 24-hour operations the past two weeks, killing one and Association of South East Asian
room at the embassy to get the latest wounding dozens. Nations because of the Thai crisis.
information,” he said here yesterday. The yellow-shirted The general manager of
The official said that unlike many demonstrators are trying to Suvarnabhumi said it could take a
other nationalities who were badly topple Prime Minister Somchai week to resume operations when
affected by the airport closures, Ma- Wongsawat, whom they accuse the protesters finally leave, because
laysians were lucky as they could still of being a pawn for his brother- security and computer systems had
travel by train, bus and van to the in-law, former premier Thaksin been compromised.
Thailand-Malaysia border. Shinawatra. Thaksin was ousted in Today is also the end of a vote
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) had a 2006 coup and is now in exile. fraud case that could deliver a
mounted six rescue flights since Friday Somchai insisted again he would crippling blow to the six-party
and AirAsia, three to fly back hundreds not go. “I will not quit and I will not coalition government.
of their stranded passengers from the dissolve parliament,” he said. The Constitutional Court has
temporary gateway at the U-Tapao Forecasts for an economy moved with uncharacteristic speed
Airport near Pattaya. already suffering from the global to wrap up the case and is expected
MAS has scheduled two more Stranded BANGKOK: Thai protesters financial crisis are grim. to order the disbanding of Somchai’s
flights, and AirAsia one, to Kuala Lumpur on Monday as the tourists from prepared to end their three-month Finance Minister Suchart Thada- People Power Party (PPP) and two
Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports remained shut down. Spain board occupation of the Prime Minister’s Thamrongvech said the economy coalition partners.
The embassy had also arranged two buses on Saturday and a bus to office yesterday to consolidate their might be flat next year, or grow by If it does, Somchai and other
Sunday to ferry 68 Malaysians home. take them grip on the main airport ahead of a just 1% to 2%, after earlier growth leaders would be barred from
Malaysia has also become the closest destination for to U-Tapao court verdict that could dissolve the forecasts of between 4-5%. politics and many cabinet ministers
other nationalities to flee Thailand after hundreds of flights international elected government. Thailand’s Board of Trade director would have to step down. The
were cancelled since Nov 24. Since Friday, the consular airport to be Leaders of the anti-government said the cost of the airport closures PPP’s dissolution, however, will not
section of the embassy had processed about 300 visa ap- flown back People’s Alliance for Democracy was “incalculable”, but a senior board necessarily mean a snap election as
plications from citizens of India, China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Sri to Europe (PAD) said they would invite neutral member offered a figure, telling many MPs will simply switch to a
Lanka and many more who were travelling to Malaysia to yesterday. observers into the Government the Nation newspaper lost export new “shell” party.
get connecting flights. – Bernama House compound, which they earnings ran at around three billion The stakes have risen with
overran in late August, prior to a baht (RM300 million) a day. thousands of government
hoped-for handover later today. The air cargo industry has supporters now also rallying in the
“We want to show the authorities ground to a halt, while the city’s capital, the first show of strength

Support children with

that the damage wasn’t 100 million main domestic hub, Don Muang, by the Democratic Alliance Against
to 200 million baht (RM20 million) has also been occupied for five days. Dictatorship (DAAD) in a week.

Autism
as claimed by the government,”
PAD spokesman Suriyasai Katasila
said. “If everybody is happy, we
may hold a returning ceremony.”
PAD supporters streamed
from the central Bangkok site to
The chaos has worried
Thailand’s neighbours, due to meet
in the country in two weeks for a
regional summit. The Thai cabinet
is expected to approve a delay to
March at their meeting today.
DAAD leader Veera Musikapong
has denounced the court case as a
“concealed coup” and government
supporters have threatened to take
to the streets if the ruling goes
against Somchai. – Reuters

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