Napolitano picked to head DHS

 President-elect Barack Obama on Monday officially named Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona to head the Department of Homeland Security.

   She had been named in numerous media reports the past two weeks as Obama's pick for the position.

   Napolitano also previously served as Arizona attorney general and U.S. attorney for Arizona, where she led the Arizona portion of the domestic terrorism investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing. As attorney general, she helped write a law to break up human smuggling rings.

   During her tenure as governor, Arizona became the first state to implement a homeland security strategy and opened the first state counter-terrorism center. She also has experience presiding over large-scale disaster preparedness exercises and planning. As a border governor, she is familiar dealing with illegal immigration and land border security. She called up the Arizona National Guard two years ago to help the federal Border Patrol control illegal entry along the U.S.-Mexico border and advocates comprehensive immigration reform.

   Obama also announced the rest of his national security team. They are:

   Sen. Hillary Clinton to be secretary of state.

   Retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones to be national security advisor.

   Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations.

   Eric Holder as attorney general.

   Robert Gates to continue as defense secretary. 

Source: American Shipper