Obama Picks Carter AS New Pentagon Chief Min
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SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2014 SAFAR 14, 1436 AH No: 16364 INJAZ Al-Arab’s Race protests NASA’s Orion Entrepreneurs vent anger capsule blasts Competition over police off on ‘first ends in style4 killings in7 US step’30 to Mars Obama picks Carter as new Pentagon chief Min 09º 150 Fils Max 25º Hagel shuns ceremony; Ex-Defense Secretaries blast White House WASHINGTON: Shaking up his Pentagon leadership, President Barack Obama tapped policy wonk Ashton Carter to oversee the sprawling Defense Department yesterday, heralding his new nominee as one the nation’s “foremost national security leaders.” Obama announced Carter’s nomination during a ceremony at the White House. A Pentagon veteran who is seen as a centrist, Carter is expected to be easily confirmed by the Senate, putting him at the helm of a department moving back into military con- flict in the Middle East even as it grapples with budget cuts. In discussing the Pentagon post with Carter, Obama said he emphasized the need “to make smart choices, precisely because there are so many challenges out there.” Carter, a widely respect- ed physicist and academic, has won praise from some Republicans, suggesting he’ll face a smooth Senate confirmation. Carter would replace Chuck Hagel, who resigned under pressure last week after a bumpy tenure. Hagel did not attend yesterday’s event. A defense official said the outgoing secretary did not want to distract from Carter’s nomination. The leadership shakeup at the Pentagon marks the only major change Obama has made to his national security team during his second term. While White House officials haven’t fully ruled out other changes, Obama appears highly unlikely to replace nation- al security adviser Susan Rice or White House chief of staff Denis McDonough, who plays a significant role in foreign policy deci- sion-making. The level of control the White House has exerted over the Pentagon in particular has rankled those who have held the agency’s top job before Carter. Former Defense Secretaries Robert Gates and Leon Panetta have both spoken extensively WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama shares a laugh with Ashton Carter, his nominee for defense secretary yesterday, about what they saw as White House micromanagement and during the announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. — AP meddling in Pentagon affairs. In brief remarks yesterday, Carter signaled that he would not shy from expressing his opinion in his new role. “If confirmed in this job, I pledge to you my most can- did strategic advice,” he said to Obama. While the White House has denied that it has negatively inter- MoI tackles aggressive fered with the Pentagon, officials made clear this week that Obama had no plans to loosen his reins on the Defense Department. “The president of the United States is the com- behavior and violence mander in chief and sits at the top of the chain of command,” Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said. “That means the president bears significant responsibility for what happens at the Pentagon ‘Non-Violence Week’ and the Department of Defense.” Carter has extensive experience in the national security arena. KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry has tak- “Non-Violence Week” that kicks off with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) He held the No 2 job at the Pentagon from October 2011 to en preventive measures and made tomorrow. It is organized by the Faculty Unified Inmates’ Week, at the behest of December 2013 and also served as the Defense Department’s arrangements to tackle aggressive of Social Sciences at in Kuwait University the Interior Minister. The event, held technology and weapons-buying chief during the opening years behavior, especially among youth, as and sponsored by Deputy Prime under the theme “Take my hand to a of Obama’s presidency. During the administration of President the phenomenon poses a threat to Minister and Interior Minister, Sheikh better tomorrow”, is followed up by Bill Clinton, Carter was assistant secretary of defense for interna- the society, a senior official said yes- Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al- Ministry Undersecretary Lieutenant tional security policy. Beyond his Pentagon experience, Carter is terday. “In order to counter such Sabah. For Al-Deen, countering aggres- General Sulaiman Al-Fahad. The event is known for his stellar academic credentials. He has bachelor’s behavior, committees will be formed; sive behavior is a responsibility of all attended by GCC delegations and degrees in physics and medieval history from Yale University and meetings and workshops will be state institutions. He referred to the human rights organizations. The GCC received his doctorate in theoretical physics from Oxford organized to diagnose the causes and efforts by the Saad Al-Abdullah Inmates’ Week comprises various pro- University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. the reasons why the phenomenon is Academy for Security Sciences and the grams and applications prepared by the He has served on the advisory boards of MIT’s Lincoln on the rise,” Assistant Undersecretary National Security College, which set pro- Correctional Institutes and Provisions Laboratories and the Draper Laboratory. He has extensive knowl- of the Correctional Institutes and grams and training courses for the Implementation Department, aiming at edge of the inner workings of the US nuclear arsenal. “I like dusty Provisions Implementation Maj Gen Ministry personnel on identifying the spreading the culture of containing archives, learning to decipher manuscripts in medieval script, and Khaled Abdullah Al-Deen, said in a phenomenon and drawing up security inmates in their later life, and caring for learning all the languages necessary to read the primary and sec- press statement. plans to counter it. them so as help them be once more ondary historical literature, especially Latin,” he wrote a 2007 auto- The Ministry is taking part in the The “Non-Violence Week” coincides good citizens. — KUNA biographical sketch published by Harvard University when he was on the faculty of the Kennedy School of Government. — AP LOCAL SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2014 Afghanistan security impacts Mideast: Kuwait Ambassador Kuwait, Turkey on track of boosting security cooperation LONDON: Kuwait Ambassador to the United Kingdom Khaled Al- Duwaisan said the security of Afghanistan is an integral part of the Middle East security. Speaking to KUNA after leading Kuwait delegation to the London Conference on Afghanistan, he said the conference gathered representatives of more than 80 donor countries and organizations which are keen on supporting the new government of Afghanistan. “The international community is unanimous on support to the new government for two reasons, first to get rid of the extremist elements who destabilize the region and, second, to help build a modern democratic country that ensures equal rights for all sects in Afghanistan,” he noted. Al-Duwaisan, dean of the Arab diplomatic corps in London, said that Kuwait is taking part in the conference as one of the first Ambassador of Kuwait to the Republic of South Korea Jassem and biggest donors for Afghanistan. “Kuwait Fund for Arab Al-Budaiwi Economic Development (KFAED) donated $30 million to the rebuilding process of Afghanistan in 2001 in three grants while Kuwait calls for Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) offered assistance amounting to eight million dollars, not to mention the contributions of the civil society fund-raising agencies,” he remarked. nuclear weapons His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah donated eight million dollars during the Fourth World disarmament Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), hosted by Kuwait in late April, 2008. Kuwait has inked an agreement with the UN in November, KUWAIT: “Kuwait is against the usage of nuclear weapons 2010, to launch a technical backup office for the United Nations and the international community should find means to disarm Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in Kuwait, Al- Weapons of Mass Destruction,” Ambassador of Kuwait to the Duwaisan went on. He expressed hope that current conference Republic of South Korea Jassem Al-Budaiwi said yesterday. Al- will help harness the international community work in harness to Ministry of Interior Undersecretary Lieutenant General Budaiwi’s statement came during Kuwait’s participation in achieve the targets, outlined by Tokyo conference in 2012, and Sulaiman Al-Fahad 13th Republic of Korea-United Nations Joint Conference on support the stabilize the administration of Afghan President Disarmament and Non-proliferation Issues on Jeju Island, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and CEO Abdullah Abdullah. Kuwait, Turkey boost cooperation South Korea. Halting the spread of nuclear weapons is very Also, Ministry of Interior Undersecretary Lieutenant General Kuwaiti-Iraqi relations important for global security and peace, said the Kuwaiti Sulaiman Al-Fahad, who just returned from Turkey, said his talks diplomat who called for measures to clear the Middle East In another development, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq with Turkish officials resulted in boosting mutual cooperation at region from such weapons. Ghassan Al-Zawawi said the Kuwaiti-Iraqi relations and cooper- the security level. In remarks to KUNA upon his comeback, late on The Korean-UN joint conference, held on December 4-5, ation will see some prominent development in the near future. Thursday, the undersecretary labeled as ‘significant and construc- focused its agenda on encouraging frank, open, and interac- The Ambassador’s remarks came during his meeting with Iraqi tive’ the talks he had held in Turkey during his five-day mission tive discussion of relevant issues of disarmament and security Minister of Interior Mohammed Salem Al-Ghabban, who had there. Agreements were reached on specific steps to bolster the by bringing together stakeholders from different sectors of met with several Arab and foreign Ambassadors to discuss security cooperation, he affirmed, adding that his discussions the disarmament and non-proliferation community, particu- bilateral relations on Thursday. Al-Zawawi told Kuwait News with the Turkish officials touched on regional issues.