
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 11, 1994                   TAG: 9401110049
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

NOMINATION WITHDRAWN FOR SUB-CABINET POST

Bowing to the inevitable, Morton Halperin formally asked President Clinton Monday not to renominate him to the post of assistant secretary of defense for democracy and peacekeeping.

The president complied. The White House released the text of a letter in which Clinton praised Halperin's "superb record of service and accomplishment" and accepted his withdrawal "with real regret."

The peacekeeping position, which was created for Halperin, apparently will die along with the nomination.

Retired Adm. Bobby R. Inman, Clinton's choice to succeed Les Aspin as secretary of Defense, had questioned whether the new position was necessary, as did several Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Halperin said he felt "deeply honored" by the nomination but felt that "Cabinet officers should have the freedom to select their subordinates." - The Washington Post

Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by CNB