RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Honorable Leon Panetta has officially announced that he is stepping down as the 23rd Secretary of Defense for the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his retirement by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Leon Panetta began his esteemed tenure as Secretary of Defense on July 1, 2011, under President Barack Obama; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Leon Panetta oversaw our nation's formal military exit from Iraq and the start of the last drawdown of troops in Afghanistan as well as the conclusion of a NATO campaign to free Libya of the tyranny of dictator Moammar Gadhafi; and
WHEREAS, Under the leadership of the Honorable Leon Panetta, the United States moved to further weaken the leadership of al Qaeda and opened up opportunities for Americans to serve in the military, while supporting our wounded warriors and their families; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Leon Panetta was the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2009 to 2011 and presided over the operation that led to the death of Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Leon Panetta served as White House Chief of Staff under President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1999 and as Director of the Office of Budget and Management from 1993 to 1994; and
WHEREAS, The son of Italian immigrants, the Honorable Leon Panetta was raised in Monterey, California, and earned his law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Leon Panetta served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Leon Panetta will step down from his post in Washington, D.C. following more than four decades of able service to his county; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and die members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this thirteentli day of February, 2013, to hereby express our sincere appreciation to the Honorable Leon Panetta f...
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