President George W. Bush on Tuesday nominated US Appeals Court Judge Michael Chertoff, an architect of the Justice Department's anti-terror response after the September 11, 2001, attacks, to become secretary of homeland security. After the debacle involving the nomination of former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik, who abruptly withdrew his name from consideration a month ago, Chertoff appeared to be a safe choice. Bush pointed out he has already been confirmed for previous jobs three times by the Senate.
"In all of his roles, Mike has shown a deep commitment to the cause of justice and an unwavering determination to protect the American people. Mike has also been a key leader in the war on terror," Bush said in a White House ceremony with the balding, gaunt Chertoff at his side.
Chertoff, 51, of New Jersey, is a former assistant attorney general at the Justice Department and in the mid-1990s was a special counsel for the US Senate's committee that investigated the Whitewater affair involving former President Bill Clinton, according to a Justice Department resume.
Bush said Chertoff already has experience in efforts to protect the United States from attack.
On September 11, 2001, Chertoff was managing the Justice Department's 800-strong criminal division.
"In the days after September 11, Mike helped trace the terrorist attacks to the al Qaeda network. He understood immediately that the strategy in the war on terror is to prevent attacks before they occur," Bush said.
The nomination of Chertoff comes nine days before Bush is inaugurated for his second four-year term and leaves the president with one last big job to fill, that of director of national intelligence. One candidate for that position is retired General Tommy Franks, the former Central Command chief who led the invasion of Iraq and the war in Afghanistan.
Comments
Comments are closed.