Cohen: Military Not World’s Helper

Former Republican Sen. William Cohen took office as secretary of defense Friday, promising a bipartisan spirit in President Clinton’s Cabinet. He quickly warned that U.S. military forces must not “engage too much in humanitarian operations.”

Cohen, a moderate Republican who has occasionally been critical of Clinton’s military policies, told the president after he was sworn in, “Your decision to reach across party lines for this appointment respects the desires of the American people for an approach to public policy that is free of political rancor.”