Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, is to replace Tom Donilon as the president’s national security adviser, US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday.
Obama praised Rice as a “patriot who puts her country first. She is fearless. She is tough.” He noted the six years she has worked with him, first as an adviser on his election campaign and then for four years as ambassador at the UN, as well her time at the State Department as assistant secretary of state for African affairs and her service on president Bill Clinton’s national security team.
The appointment provoked objections among some Republicans, who have loudly criticised Rice’s remarks on the lethal September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and derided her appointment.
Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who has been a vocal critic of Rice, wrote on Twitter, “Judgement is key to national security matters. That alone should disqualify Susan Rice from her appointment.” Obama however noted Rice’s many accomplishments, without mentioning the controversy that kept her from become secretary of state after Hillary Rodham Clinton stepped down. Rice does not need to face a Senate confirmation vote to serve in the position.
“As our ambassador to the UN, Susan has been a tireless advocate in advancing our interests,” Obama said. “She’s reinvigorated American diplomacy in New York.” He mentioned her work on sanctions against Iran and North Korea, the defence of Israel, and efforts on Libya, Ivory Coast and South Sudan.
“We have much still to accomplish on behalf of the American people,” Rice said, “and I look forward to continuing to serve on your national security team to keep our nation strong and safe.”
Samantha Power – new US ambassador to UN
Obama nominated White House adviser Samantha Power to replace Rice at the UN, praising her for advocacy of moral responsibility in resolving conflicts and defending human rights. Her work at the White House has focused on the United Nations, he noted.
Power’s nomination must be approved by the Senate. The two women may provide a more vocal advocacy for US intervention in Syria, with Rice having expressed in the past regret over US failure to act in Rwanda and Power an advocate for humanitarian intervention.
The White House has stressed that both women have long advised Obama and noted that the President is the one who ultimately sets foreign policy. So far, he has been reluctant to provide arms to the Syrian rebels or to intervene directly in the conflict, instead focussing on humanitarian aid and pushing for a peace conference to end the conflict.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Rice on her move and said he appreciated “the dynamic role” she had played at the United Nations.
“She has been a strong voice in the Security Council and an effective advocate on the full range of issues before the United Nations, from peace and security to human rights and development,” he said. “The Secretary-General has benefited greatly from her support and counsel.” Donilon’s resignation is to go into effect in early July.
Obama thanked Donilon for his work on the hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and efforts at winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the US re-engagement with Asia.
“He shared my view that in order to renew American leadership for the 21st century, we had to fundamentally rebalance our foreign policy,” Obama said. “And more than that, he knew how we could do it.” Donilon will travel with Obama to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in California on Friday and Saturday and Obama praised him for forging a “constructive relationship” with Beijing, where he has travelled frequently to lay the ground work for this week’s talks.
Rice, a confidant of the US president, came under criticism for providing a faulty explanation of the terrorist attack on a US diplomatic post in Benghazi, initially saying the deadly attack was sparked by a spontaneous demonstration and was not a terrorist act.
Rice subsequently withdrew her name for consideration as secretary of state as Republicans accused her of misleading the public.
Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the Benghazi attack.