Turkish Press: Bush searching for a new HLS Chief

[Catchawave]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - President George W. Bush began searching for a new US homeland security chief after former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik withdrew his name from consideration, admitting a nanny he employed may have been an illegal immigrant.

Bush ignored reporters' questions about Kerik's hastily withdrawn nomination as he headed for his annual physical examination at the Naval Medical Center in the Washington suburbs.

Kerik announced in a statement late Friday that he was withdrawing.

He said while preparing for Senate confirmation hearings, he had discovered "information that now leads me to question the immigration status of a person who had been in my employ as a housekeeper and nanny."

"It has also been brought to my attention that for a period of time during such employment, required tax payments and related filings had not been made."

Kerik said in a letter to Bush that the nomination had been "the honour of a lifetime" but that "moving forward would not be in the best interest of your administration."

White House spokesman Scott McClellan did not mention the nanny's status in announcing the withdrawal but said "the president respects his decision, and wishes Commissioner Kerik and his wife, Hala, well."

Kerik, 49, was nominated December 3 to replace Tom Ridge as head of the department created after the September 11, 2001 attacks to protect the country against future strikes.