European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 18, 1993 Pentagon transition the stars and stripes Page 5 operator7 Inman expected to help educate Clinton adm. Bobby Ray Inman prepares to testify at the Capitol on intelligence issues in the Early 1980s. By Elaine Sciolino the new York times Washington More than a decade ago Bobby Ray Inman left Washington in a Huff vowing never to return. The City was too mean the bureaucratic infighting too enervating the backbiting too intense he told intimates after serving 16 uncomfortable months As Deputy to William j. Casey director of the Cia. Shucking a Long government career Inman went Home and set up a business in Austin Texas. But his heart never left the Potomac. Using the tools he had acquired As a four Star Admiral and a spy master a stealth and discipline a he managed to keep his Finger on the pulse of Power Quot i am an operator a Inman 62, bluntly told reporters thursday after president Clinton announced his nomination to succeed Les Aspin As Secretary of defense. A hopefully with a strategic  although he May have been using the expression the Way people in uniform use it a to make the Point that he had not been just a desk bound paper Pusher during his 31 years in the Navy nut also a Man in the Field a it was natural that those who know him interpreted his comment differently. A a a operator a that a arguably the magic word a said Robin West a Petroleum executive who has known Inman for nearly two decades. A a he a a Brilliant creature of the inside a Man who can help educate the  Inman is one of those Washington figures whose accomplishments and peculiarities have made him a legend around the Beltway and a fixture on corporate boards and government commissions although his name is probably unknown to most of America. Senior administration officials said he will bring to the Job three qualities that Aspin seemed to Lack a credibility with the military. A a highly developed sense of organization. A and the ability to articulate policy positions in Public. V since his Days As a prize winning Whiz kid on a radio quiz show in his Hometown of Rhonesboro Texas he has been known As a Prodigy. Under president Carter the career intelligence officer in the Navy became the youngest director in the history of the National Security Agency the super secret organization that eavesdrop overseas. He was the first intelligence officer Ever to receive a fourth Star. And with confirmation by the Senate he would become the first career military officer since Geprge c. Marshall to head the Pentagon. Marshall a career army officer was appointed defense Sec rotary in 1950 arid served for one year. In the years since leaving full time gov Crement work Inman has nonetheless kept his hand in. Among other things he has headed a Reagan administration commission on embassy Security and the Bush administrations presidential intelligence foreign policy advisory Board. He also has served on a number of congressional panels on intelligence. He replaced Secretary of state Warren Christo chef As vice chairman of the new York ased Council on foreign relations and has served on the boards of 11 nonprofit organizations and a number of companies. Along the Way he has perfected an endearing style characterized by bureaucratic finesse and intellectual Grace. He has said in interviews that he is so Clumsy that he cannot walk across a room without bumping into the furniture but is so disciplined that when he was at the Cia he Rose every morning at 4 to prepare for the Day by Reading a huge bag of classified documents. His Gap toothed smile and self deprecating Demeanour conceal a steely Center extraordinary intellect and breathtaking ability to shape quietly the opinions of other officials. Over the years Inman has maintained political Independence a trait that was on display during the White House Rose Garden announcement thursday. Quot i would Tell you up front honestly i did not vote for president Clinton a he volunteered. A i voted for president Bush even though i was mad at him about his handling of the Economy but because i considered him a personal  / Inman also confessed that he had neither sought nor wanted the Pentagon Job which he said he had accepted because of a duty and  indeed in the fall of 1990, after assigning himself the Rote of saving the contentious nomination of Robert m. Gates to be Dirac Tor of the Cia he said in an interview a i will never come Back to government. I have Zero Potomac fever. 1 done to have the patience anymore. Watching this process has absolutely locked that in  last year during the transition Between presidencies Inman was quietly asked whether he would be interested in becoming Clinton s top intelligence chief and he politely but firmly declined. But washing ton insiders who say they know him Well said he has always coveted the Job of either Secretary of state or defense. Even Inman admitted in the 1990 interview that if at the beginning of the Bush administration a somebody had offered me Secretary of defense i might have taken  Clinton worked hard to smooth Dod shuffle by Ron Fournier the associated press Washington a convinced Les Aspin had to go president Clinton spent weeks patiently edging his defense Secretary to the door. Meanwhile the search for a replacement went on outside. In the end the Pentagon Post went to a reluctant Bobby Ray Inman who impressed the White House with a Sterling resume and a bundle of connections to the Clinton administration. The retired Navy Admiral and former government intelligence official has a history with vice president Al Gore White House Counselor David Gergen Secretary of state Warren Christopher Deputy defense Secretary William Perry and Clinton confidant Vernon Jordan. After a lengthy search and two meetings with his top Choice Clinton on wednesday offered Aspinw a Job to Inman. He then had Aspin draw up his resignation letter White House officials insisted that Aspin was not fired nor did Clinton request his resignation. But neither gesture was needed the writing was on the Wall and Clinton was showing it to him. Aspinw a departure came after a turbulent year marked by numerous policy controversies including the Issue of homosexuals in the military american deaths in Somalia and a Messy fight Over the Pentagon budget that he took Public. At the White House it had been Clear for weeks that Les was to be no More. Clinton and Aspin began talking resignation said a senior administration official speaking on condition of anonymity. Then Clinton asked chief of staff Thom As f. A a Mack Mclarty a a couple of weeks ago to find a successor. Whatever happened the official said Clinton wanted to be prepared for a smooth transition. Another official this one involved in the search said Clinton and his top advisers knew by then that Aspin was leaving even if Aspin did not. A Why would we work so hard to replace a Guy who Wasny to leaving a. Three weeks ago Inman met his future Boss for the first time. They chatted for 90 minutes in the White House residence about a Broad Range of National Security issues. Although Inman was on the search teams list of candidates Clinton did not consider the meeting an interview a it was another in a series of talks with National Security experts. Inman however interviewed the president. The Man who voted for president Bush last year was sceptical about the new commander in chief. A i was persuaded from our lengthy conversations of the president s absolute commitment to build a Strong bipartisan support for where this country needs to go in the years out ahead a Inman said thursday aides said Clinton was impressed by Inman in the first meeting found him Blunt honest and intellectually stimulating. Recommendations from National Security adviser Anthony Lake who interviewed Inman on monday and Gore carried great weight. A Gore was a big player in this a the senior official said. Aides said Clinton also was attracted by inmans lifelong relationships with senior military  is next in line for Clinton a insiders say by Saul Friedman new Day Washington the resignation of defense Secretary Les Aspin has focused some attention on the future of Secretary of state Warren Christopher Aspinw a  Clinton administration foreign policies that have come under serious attack. As speculation about Christophers future caught fire thursday one government foreign policy Veteran said a Well most folks have More than one shoe done to they a and a senior foreign service officer said of Christophers tenure a a it a Only a matter of  on Capitol Hill sen. Sam Nunn d-ga., chairman of the Senate armed services committee who had been mentioned As a possible Secretary of state before Christopher was chosen told reporters that he has had a candid discussions with Clinton during the past few weeks on foreign policy issues although they talked Only of a possible change at the Pentagon. Nevertheless even the officials who speculated that Christopher s Days might be numbered figured his resignation was far from imminent Christopher has done the Advance diplomacy for Clinton s scheduled trip next month to a nato Summit in Brussels Belgium and a meeting in Moscow with russian president Boris n. Yeltsin. In reply to a question thursday about his status Christopher told reporters at a photo session a my plans arc to stay right Here. Keep on doing the Job As Secretary of state. He added that he hoped to go Home to California during the holidays but said a otherwise 1 plan to be right  those in government who wondered about the Secretary a future recalled that on nov. 7, when president Clinton hinted for the first time on no cd a meet the press at his dissatisfaction with his top National Security team he Christopher included Christopher along with Aspin. A of tenth earlier after the oct. 3 attack that killed 18 . Troops in Somalia lawmakers were enraged with Aspin and Christopher when they were unprepared and unable to explain . Policy. And while Aspin took the heaviest barrage of criticism for declining repeated requests to Send Armor to better protect . Forces Christopher had presided Over and supported measures in the United nations that broadened the Mission in Somalia to include nation building and . Participation in the manhunt for warlord Mohamed Farrah aided