M A I N   N E W S

Bush names Rice Security Adviser

AUSTIN, Dec 18 (Reuters) —President-elect George W Bush named trusted foreign policy aide Condoleezza Rice as his White House national security adviser today.

Ms Rice, 46, who is of African descent, was a Russian specialist on the National Security Council during the presidency of Mr Bush’s father, Mr George Bush, and played a key advisory role during the younger Bush’s presidential campaign.

Mr Bush also picked Mr Al Gonzales as his White House counsel. Mr Gonzales is a Hispanic judge in the Texas Supreme Court who served as gubernatorial counsel during Mr Bush’s first term.

The appointments were announced by the President-elect shortly before he was to depart for Washington for two days of meetings with congressional leaders, President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

Mr Bush also named his former campaign communications director Karen Hughes as counsellor to the President.

After being named, Ms Rice said: “It’s a wonderful time for the USA in foreign policy, a time when markets and democracy are spreading and our values are affirmed around the world and yet it’s a time of challenge.”