President Barack Obama

It is expected that on Monday President-elect Barack Obama will announce the names of his national security team, leading with Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. It is being reported that former President Bill Clinton agreed to publicly reveal the names of hundreds of thousands of donors to his foundation to pave the way for his wife to secure the coveted post of Secretary of State.

It is believed that other selections for Obama’s national security team include the current Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, who is a Republican. Also to be named are retired Marine Corps General James Jones as White House national security adviser, and Susan Rice, who has been advising Barack Obama foreign policy matters, as. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The priorities and challenges facing the new Obama administration and its national security team are daunting. These include extricating American troops from Iraq, confronting the growing strength of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, while repairing damage to the international image of the United States incurred during the Bush administration.

According to several press reports, president-elect Barack Obama is considering tow of his democratic rivals in the primary campaign for the job of Secretary of State. Senator Hillary Clinton and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson have been mentioned for the job of running America’s foreign policy establishment.

Hillary Clinton is surprising as a possible head of the State Department, since she lacks convincing foreign policy credentials. Bill Richardson, however, has served as the UN ambassador during the Clinton administration, and was a negotiator with North Korea on the nuclear issue. Also, unlike Hillary Clinton, Richardson does not bring the baggage of a Bill Clinton. It is possible that there are other contenders as well.