THE US Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, resigned yesterday. He will continue in the job until a successor is chosen, President Clinton said and Mr Christopher will join in the search for a successor.
The urbane Mr Christopher (71), chose the then Senator Al Gore as Mr Clinton's vice presidential candidate in 1992 the President said. He was deputy secretary of state in 1980 when he brought the American hostages home from Iran, having negotiated their release for more than a year. He also headed the commission in Los Angeles after the riots that severely censured the police.
He has logged 723,000 flying hours in his travels as Secretary of State, Mr Clinton said. "He could go to the Moon and back again with all the travel he's done," the President added. "I want him to make a few more trips so he can end up on the right planet.
The name most frequently mentioned as Mr Christopher's successor is that of former Senator George Mitchell who is currently chairing the multi party talks in Northern Ireland.
Mr Clinton is looking at the possibility of adding a Republican to his cabinet, possibly as secretary of state, sources say, and one name suggested is that of another former senator from Maine Mr William Cohen. Mr Clinton said he would hold a press conference today, something he has not done for a long time.
Also resigning is the President's Chief of Staff, Mr Leon E. Panetta, a former Congressman who introduced discipline and efficiency to the White House. Mr Panetta is returning to California which he represented in Congress. He is expected to run for governor of California in the next election.
Mr Panetta's successor is likely to be Mr Erskine Bowles, a friend of the President and a member of the White House staff.
Also expected to leave at the end of the President's first term are the Defence Secretary, Mr William Perry, who reportedly informed subordinates at the Pentagon he was resigning. The Commerce Secretary, Mr Mickey Kantor, the Transportation Secretary, Mr Federico Pena, and the Labour Secretary, Mr Robert Reich, who wants to retire for personal reasons, are also resigning. The Energy Secretary, Ms Hazel O'Leary, is also leaving. She has come under heavy criticism in Congress for her expensive travels with aides.
The New York Times reported that the Attorney General, Ms Janet Reno's resignation was rejected by the President "out of concern about pending investigations of the Clintons and their friends and aides".
The report added: "Officials said that Mr Clinton did not want to appear to be interfering in those investigations by removing Ms Reno and that in any case, he feared he would have trouble getting Senate approval for her replacement in the current political climate."
Senator Christopher J. Dodd, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, announced that he would resign that job in January. Some of the President's closest advisers, including Mr George Stephanopoulos, plan to resign.