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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: CIA director

CIA director stories: 20 news summaries

(Newser) - Leon Panetta couldn't stop the Justice Department's widening inquiry into the CIA's interrogation policies, but the agency's director can make sure his employees don't go broke paying legal fees. The agency will see to it that case officers caught up in the investigation have representation, the Washington Post reports. Most... More »

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CIA • torture • Abu Ghraib • legal defense • Leon Panetta • detention • CIA director

ANALYSIS

 In Obama White House, Justice Trumps CIA 

Eric Holder carves a new, powerful role as attorney general

Aug 28, 09 7:40 AM CDT
(Newser) - The appointment of a federal prosecutor to investigate CIA interrogations exposed a long-running turf war between the intelligence agency and the Department of Justice—and demonstrated the substantial clout of AG Eric Holder, who prevailed in almost every dispute with CIA Director Leon Panetta. The New York Times and Washington ... More »

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Barack Obama • CIA • torture • Department of Justice • waterboarding • attorney general • Leon Panetta • Eric Holder • CIA director • Central Intelligence Agency

(Newser) - Mounting animosity between Congress and the CIA has seriously damaged morale at the agency and could damage national security, critics are charging. "It's one of the last nails in the CIA's coffin. It's finished. It's over. It's done," former Middle East operative Robert Baer, who was the model... More »

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CIA • Robert Baer • Eric Holder • CIA director

(Newser) - A group of Democratic lawmakers says CIA chief Leon Panetta admitted that the agency has misled Congress since 2001 and "concealed significant actions," reports Politico. A letter released by the lawmakers, all members of the House Intelligence panel, offered no specifics on when Panetta made the admission or... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Congress • CIA • Peter Hoekstra • House Intelligence Committee • Leon Panetta • CIA director

(Newser) - As the CIA scrambled to do damage control today in the wake of director Leon Panetta's New Yorker interview, Dick Cheney fired back. The former VP's office released a statement that reads in full: "I hope my old friend Leon was misquoted. The important thing is whether the Obama... More »

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Bush administration • War on Terror • Dick Cheney • CIA • security • vice president • Leon Panetta • Obama administration • CIA director

McCain to CIA Chief Panetta: Retract Cheney Slam Now

Panetta said Cheney almost seemed to want attack on US

Jun 15, 09 1:16 PM CDT
(Newser) - Sen. John McCain called today on CIA director Leon Panetta to “retract immediately” his suggestion that Dick Cheney might want another attack on the US, the Hill reports. Panetta told the New Yorker that “it’s almost as if” Cheney is “wishing that this country would be... More »

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John McCain • Dick Cheney • CIA • New Yorker magazine • attack • Leon Panetta • CIA director

 Bin Laden in Pakistan: CIA Head 

Finding leader remains 'major priority,' he says

Jun 11, 09 1:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - Osama bin Laden is still in Pakistan and his arrest remains a top priority for the US, CIA Director Leon Panetta said today, adding that joint operations with Pakistani forces could finally net al-Qaeda’s top leader. The CIA has Pakistani informants that keep it abreast of terrorist targets there,... More »

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Somalia • Pakistan • Yemen • Osama bin Laden • al-Qaeda • Pakistan military • Leon Panetta • CIA director

OPINION

The White House May Be Trying
to Purge Pelosi

Kristol: Why else would CIA boss 'humiliate' his party's speaker?

May 18, 09 12:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - After Nancy Pelosi suggested the CIA had misled Congress, the agency’s director fired back with a letter denying the claim. But the idea that Leon Panetta would send a letter “humiliating a House speaker of his own party” entirely of his own accord seems “almost inconceivable,”... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • CIA • torture • Rahm Emanuel • speaker of the House • Leon Panetta • ouster • Obama administration • President Obama • CIA director

(Newser) - The outrage on Capitol Hill against Bush-era interrogation policies is nothing more than a disingenuous “circus,” former CIA chief Porter Goss writes in the Washington Post. Goss, also a former congressman, says he and other senior lawmakers were briefed more than once about CIA tactics. “I... More »

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Bush administration • national security • CIA • interrogation techniques • Porter Goss • torture memo • CIA director

(AP) - Days after releasing top-secret memos that detailed the CIA's use of simulated drowning while interrogating terror suspects, President Obama went to the spy agency's Virginia headquarters today to defend his decision and bolster the morale of its employees. "I acted primarily because of the exceptional circumstances that surrounded these... More »

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Barack Obama • torture • waterboarding • CIA director • memo

(AP) - Four former CIA directors opposed releasing classified Bush-era interrogation memos, officials say, describing objections that went all the way to the White House and slowed release of the records. Former CIA chiefs Michael Hayden, Porter Goss, George Tenet, and John Deutch all called the White House last month warning that... More »

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Barack Obama • torture • waterboarding • torture memo • CIA director

OPINION

Bush AG, CIA Chief Slam Obama on Torture Memos


Apr 17, 09 7:48 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama made a dangerous mistake in yesterday releasing Justice Department memos about interrogation techniques from 2005, say former Attorney General Michael Mukasey and former CIA Director Michael Hayden. By releasing the details of these methods, Obama is eliminating a crucial intelligence tool—not just for his own administration but... More »

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Barack Obama • CIA • torture • Department of Justice • Attorney General • Michael Hayden • Michael Mukasey • interrogation techniques • harsh interrogation • Obama administration • CIA director

Ex-CIA Chief, McCain Man Praises Panetta Pick

Leon Panetta's 'breadth of experience' will serve him, US well: Woolsey

Jan 13, 09 3:23 PM CST
(Newser) - James Woolsey, a former CIA director and adviser to John McCain, tells the Huffington Post he’s “impressed overall by the quality” of Barack Obama’s national-security picks, dismissing criticism that Leon Panetta is a poor fit for his former job. Though an intelligence novice, Panetta is amply qualified,... More »

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national security • Barack Obama • intelligence • spy • Leon Panetta • James Woolsey • President Obama • CIA director

Seat Burris, Says Rogue
Sen. Feinstein 

Calif. Dem's dissent follows on heels of Panetta CIA complaint

Jan 7, 09 9:28 AM CST
(Newser) - Dianne Feinstein is breaking Democratic ranks on the issue of of seating Roland Burris as the replacement for Barack Obama, reports the LA Times. “If you don't seat Mr. Burris, it has ramifications for gubernatorial appointments all over America,” the California senator warned yesterday. Majority Leader Harry... More »

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Senate • Harry Reid • Dianne Feinstein • Rod Blagojevich • Leon Panetta • CIA director • Roland Burris

(Newser) - Joe Biden defended the pick of Leon Panetta to head the CIA but offered an apology of sorts for the way it was handled, Politico reports. “I think it was just a mistake,” Biden said of not informing top Democrats of the choice, which led to a chiding... More »

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Barack Obama • Congress • Joe Biden • Senate • Dianne Feinstein • confirmation hearings • Jay Rockefeller • Leon Panetta • President Obama • CIA director

Feinstein Disses Panetta
as Pick for CIA Chief

Surprise pick has no intelligence experience, committee concerned

Jan 6, 09 8:14 AM CST
(Newser) - Dianne Feinstein hinted yesterday that she had reservations about Barack Obama’s choice of Leon Panetta to head the CIA—which could be a problem for Obama, since Feinstein is the new chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “I was not informed about the selection,” she said. “... More »

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CIA • Dianne Feinstein • Senate Intelligence Committee • Leon Panetta • President Obama • CIA director

 Panetta Tapped to Helm CIA 

Former Clinton adviser has little intelligence experience

Jan 5, 09 2:31 PM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama will name Leon Panetta, a former congressman and chief of staff to Bill Clinton, director of the CIA, the New York Times reports. Observers were split on the choice of Panetta, who is well-respected for his Beltway savvy but has no specific intelligence experience. Panetta will report to... More »

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Barack Obama • CIA • Leon Panetta • President Obama • CIA director • Dennis Blair • political appointment

Retired Admiral Will Be Next
Spy Chief

Blair gets national intelligence post;
CIA spot still open

Dec 19, 08 10:33 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama will stick with the front-runner and name retired Admiral Dennis Blair to be his go-to guy on spying as director of national intelligence, reports the Washington Post. Blair, the former commander of naval forces in the Pacific, is generally well-regarded. Some in the civilian intelligence community grumbled about... More »

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Barack Obama • Director of National Intelligence • CIA director • Dennis Blair

Tenet Denies Drunken Rant About 'the Jews'

Pressured CIA chief spilled fears to Saudi prince

Dec 18, 08 2:28 PM CST
(Newser) - George Tenet is vehemently denying a report in a new book that the then-CIA director railed against Bush administration neocons, "referring to them with exaxperation [sic] as, 'the Jews,'" the Atlantic reports. The incident took place in Saudi Prince Bandar's pool after Tenet downed half a bottle of... More »

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CIA • Jews • George Tenet • Prince Bandar bin Sultan • drunk • CIA director • Patrick Tyler • Israeli lobby • neoconservatives


Obama's Top CIA Pick
Drops Out

Brennan withdraws under pressure but denies backing torture

Nov 26, 08 4:46 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama's top intelligence adviser and his first choice for CIA director has withdrawn his name from consideration, the Los Angeles Times reports. John Brennan, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, was branded by some liberal groups as a proponent of the harsh interrogation techniques used against terrorist suspects... More »

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CIA • torture • waterboarding • George J. Tenet • transition • Obama administration • President Obama • CIA director • John Brennan

20 Stories


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