Former CIA Director Robert Gates was officially sworn in as U.S. secretary of defense on Monday, replacing embattled Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld, who was under fire for his handling of the Iraq war.
Gates was sworn in at 7:03 a.m. (1203 GMT) by White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten in the chief of staff's office, a White House spokeswoman said.
President George W. Bush was scheduled to attend Gates' ceremonial swearing-in at the Pentagon at 1:15 p.m. (1815 GMT).
The 63-year-old Gates served as CIA director from 1991 until 1993 during the administration of Bush's father.
Gates told a U.S. Senate panel during confirmation hearings that the United States was not winning the war in Iraq and warned that the Middle East could explode into violence.
His nomination was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Senate, and he was praised for his candor.
Bush accepted Rumsfeld's resignation after November elections in which Bush's Republicans lost control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, in large part because of public discontent over the conduct of the Iraq war.
The pugnacious Rumsfeld had long been a lightning rod for criticism of the war. He had been in the job since January 2001, becoming the second-longest serving U.S. defense secretary.
Reuters
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