Leon Panetta Become U.S. Secretary of Defense - United States Senate unanimously on Tuesday, decided to authorize the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Leon Panetta, whose term of duty will end, as ministers pertahahan new, replacing Robert Gates, who will retire.
Panetta, who has held various senior positions in Washington for decades, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to lead the Pentagon. Panetta is expected to begin his new position on July 1, Reuters reported.
100-0 votes in favor rare debate that followed witnessed the praise on Mr. Panetta and anxiety about the challenges he will face pressure to lower defense budgets and oversee the start of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Troop withdrawal to begin next month, and Obama is expected to deliver a blueprint for it (withdrawal) in a speech at the best time for Americans on Wednesday.
"The defense minister's future had to struggle with the competing demands on our troops as Washington struggles with a very challenging fiscal environment," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin.
He stated Panetta long experience has made him as the right person at the office. As CIA director since February 2009, Panetta was involved in a "very well" in matters of security very urgent, says Levin - personally supervise the hunt that ended in the last month covert operation to kill Osama bin Laden, leader of Al Qaeda.
Panetta, a Democrat who has long, also became budget director and former president Bill Clinton to help make decisions that result in budget surpluses in the late 1990s, Levin said.
Earlier this month, Panetta said on Konggrs he will ensure fiscal discipline in the U.S. military, said the days of the defense budget "infinite" has ended.
In hearings ratification, Panetta is widely marking its alliance with Gates, saying they were inclined to cooperate in many issues. Gates has cautioned against hasty reduction (troops) in Afghanistan.
