Washington, Dec 4, SPA -- Overcoming criticism about his handlingof Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has won astrong vote of confidence from President George W. Bush andwill remain at the Pentagon. It settles one of the last major questions about who goesand who stays in the second-term Cabinet. Rumsfeld's future was sealed in an Oval Office meetingwith Bush on Monday but not announced until Friday, the Associated Press reported today. Also on Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced he was leaving _ departing with a warning about a possible terror attack on the nation's food supply. "For the life of me, I cannot understand why theterrorists have not attacked our food supply because it isso easy to do," Thompson said. "We are importing a lot offood from the Middle East, and it would be easy to tamperwith that." With Thompson's resignation, eight members of Bush's15-person Cabinet have said they will depart. TreasurySecretary John Snow, despite being called by the WhiteHouse a valuable member of the president's economic team,has not received a public endorsement of continued service. Snow, who has been in the job less than two years,declined in an appearance Friday on CNBC to reveal whetherhe has submitted or offered to submit his resignation.--SPA1102 Local Time 0802 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/221776