President confirms support for CIA nominee
DONALD TRUMP has defended his nominee to lead the CIA after she offered to withdraw over questions about her role in the agency’s interrogation unit.
The US president said Gina Haspel had “come under fire because she was too tough on terrorists”.
Ms Haspel, who will be grilled by senators during her confirmation hearing tomorrow, has decided not to withdraw after receiving encouragement from Mr Trump’s key aides.
The 61-year-old was nominated for the top position after Mike Pompeo, the former CIA director, was appointed secretary of state. If confirmed, she will be the first woman to lead the CIA. Her colleagues said she was “widely respected” within the agency. But she faces questions about her involvement in a George Bush-era extreme interrogation unit.
Ms Haspel is a career spymaster, spending most of her 33 years at the CIA working under cover until her appointment as deputy director last year. She was in charge of the “black site” when al-qaeda suspects Abu Zubaydah and Abd al Rahim al-nashiri were waterboarded in 2002. She also helped carry out an order to destroy videos that led to an investigation by the US justice department, although it ended with no charges being brought.
Mr Trump has previously indicated his support for waterboarding terrorist suspects. He reiterated his support for Ms Haspel yesterday, tweeting: “Gina Haspel has come under fire because she was too tough on terrorists.”
The Washington Post reported that Ms Haspel told White House officials she was interested in withdrawing, fearing the Senate questioning could damage her reputation and the CIA’S.