BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Pragmatism is hallmark of Obama’s security team
With his choices for the top jobs in military and foreign policy, the incoming president leans toward tough-minded centrists.
WASHINGTON — The selection of experienced centrists — Hillary Rodham Clinton, Robert M. Gates and James L. Jones— to head Presidentelect Barack Obama’s national security team points to the possibility that on Iraq, the incoming commander in chief may take a more measured path to ending American military involvement than he described during the presidential campaign.
Obama’s choices signal a more pragmatic, less ideological approach to asserting American leadership in the world. In announcing on Monday that Clinton is his choice for secretary of state and that Gates has agreed to remain as defense secretary — with Jones as national security adviser in the White House — Obama said he has intentionally surrounded himself with “strong personalities and strong opinions.” And he made clear that when push comes to shove, he will be the one to make the tough calls.
Gates, in particular, has opposed setting a hard deadline for removing U. S. forces from Iraq, but he also has emphasized the need to move the U. S. military mission from combat to support for Iraqi forces. And he shares Obama’s view that some resources now in Iraq should be shifted to Afghanistan.
Obama will likely rely on Jones, who spent 40 years in the Marine Corps but has never served in the exec-
utive branch of government, to lay the groundwork by melding the views of Clinton and Gates.
In an Associated Press interview shortly after Obama’s announcement in Chicago, Jones said he feels well-prepared for his expected role in building consensus among the key players on national security.
“I’ve always felt that the more senior I got, even in the military, the more important is the art of making people feel like they own part of the problem and also part of the solution. Raising consensus is important,” he said.
Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute, a Washington research group, said the combination of Clinton, Gates and Jones appears to fit well with Obama’s pledge to be pragmatic when it comes to decisions about using military force and building overseas alliances.
“The tone is centrist and non-ideological, which is quite a change from the Bush administration,” he said.
Jones, 64, is widely seen as nonpartisan; during the campaign, he informally advised both Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain.
Gates, while closely associated with a Republican administration, also has served in the White House during Democratic presidencies. At his news conference Monday, Obama said he didn’t ask Gates to remain at the Pentagon because of his party affiliation, although he has promised to have a Republican in his Cabinet.
“The point here is that I didn’t go around checking people’s political registration,” Obama said. “What I was most concerned with was whether or not they can serve the interests of the American people.”
Obama said he was parting ways with recent practice by assembling a diverse group of national security leaders.
“One of the dangers in a White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in groupthink, and everybody agrees with everything, and there’s no discussion, and there are no dissenting views,” he said. “So I am going to be welcoming a vigorous debate inside the White House. But understand, I will be setting policy as president.”
The president-elect said he intends to stick to his campaign pledge to get U. S. combat forces out of Iraq within 16 months of taking office. But he also appeared to leave himself some wiggle room on the timetable.
“I believe that 16 months is the right time frame,” he said. “But as I have said consistently, I will listen to the recommendations of my commanders. And my No. 1 priority is making sure that our troops remain safe in this transition phase and that the Iraqi people are well-served by a government that is taking on increased responsibility for its own security.”
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