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NEWSWIRE
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Napolitano will take reins at DHS |
By Rhianna Daniels - 12.02.2008 
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WASHINGTON--President-elect Barack Obama on Monday revealed his national security team and, as expected, named Janet Napolitano the next Secretary of Homeland Security, General James Jones as National Security Advisor and retained Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense.
In addition to these appointments, Obama appointed Hillary Clinton Secretary of State.
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"The national security challenges we face are just as great and just as urgent as our economic crisis," Obama said during a press conference on Dec. 1. "We are fighting two wars. Our old conflicts remain unresolved. And newly asserted powers have put strains on the international system."
Obama said Napolitano, the governor of Arizona, "understands the need for a Department of Homeland Security that has the capacity to help prevent terrorist attacks and respond to catastrophe, whether be it manmade or natural ... she understands as well as anyone the danger of an unsecure border and she will be a leader who can reform a sprawling department while safeguarding our homeland."
In a January 2008 interview with ABC News, Napolitano laid out a four-part plan to beef up border security. This included increasing technology and manpower, cracking down on companies who hire illegal workers, increasing the availability of work visas and offering the country's 12 million illegal immigrants options to become citizens.
Departing DHS leader Michael Chertoff praised Napolitano's appointment and said "I look forward to working with her as she prepares for this awesome responsibility."
Prior to her service as governor, Napolitano served as U.S. Attorney for Arizona and was Arizona's first female Attorney General.
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