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NEWS ABOUT: CIA director

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Petraeus Backs 'More Than the Normal' Interrogations

But only in dire circumstances, says CIA nominee

(Newser) - David Petraeus says he believes in "more than the normal" interrogation techniques when fast action is required to save lives, reports the LA Times . Speaking at his confirmation hearing to be next director of the CIA, Petraeus said that, while he is against torture in general, he also thinks... More »

Lines Blur in War, Spying

Which explains the Panetta-Petraeus shake-up

(Newser) - Today, President Obama is expected to announce that CIA director Leon Panetta will become secretary of defense, and that David Petraeus will slide into his old job. That’s a pretty startling illustration of just how far the lines between spies and soldiers have blurred over the past year, the... More »

Petraeus in the Running to Head CIA

And Leon Panetta might replace Robert Gates

(Newser) - David Petraeus's stint as commander in Afghanistan is set to end by early fall, and his next stop just might be Langley. Government officials tell NPR that Petraeus is being seriously considered as the next head of the CIA, and that he’d accept the position if offered. Current CIA... More »

CIA Chief Blamed for Getting Egypt's Hopes Up

Panetta testified to 'strong likelihood' of Mubarak exit

(Newser) - CIA director Leon Panetta is being blamed for prematurely raising the hopes of millions of Egyptians yesterday. Panetta testified before Congress that there was a "strong likelihood"of Hosni Mubarak stepping down before the day was out. His remarks spread like wildfire, and protesters in Cairo were left stunned... More »

Report: US Gave Nazis 'Safe Haven'

DOJ findings on Nazis in America after war

(Newser) - In the aftermath of World War II, numerous Nazis turned to an unlikely safe haven: the United States of America. The New York Times has obtained a hotly sought-after Justice Department report, which Justice itself tried to block for four years, that details the US government's twisted and complex past... More »

CIA Will Cover Legal Bills for Officers in Inquiry

(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 »

In Obama White House, Justice Trumps CIA

Eric Holder carves a new, powerful role as attorney general

(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 »

Ex-Spy to Congress: Back Off and Let the CIA Do Its Job

(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 »

Dems: Panetta Admits CIA Lied

(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 »

Cheney Hopes 'Old Friend' Panetta Was Misquoted

(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 »

McCain to CIA Chief Panetta: Retract Cheney Slam Now

Panetta said Cheney almost seemed to want attack on US

(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 »

Bin Laden in Pakistan: CIA Head

Finding leader remains 'major priority,' he says

(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 »

The White House May Be Trying to Purge Pelosi

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

(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 »

Ex-CIA Chief: Congress' Sudden 'Amnesia' a Joke

(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 do... More »

Obama Visits CIA to Defend Memo Release

(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 »

CIA Objections Slowed Torture Memos' Release

(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 »

Bush AG, CIA Chief Slam Obama on Torture Memos

(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 »

Ex-CIA Chief, McCain Man Praises Panetta Pick

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

(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 »

Seat Burris, Says Rogue Sen. Feinstein

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

(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 Reid... More »

Biden: Handling of Panetta a 'Mistake'

(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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