Michael Morell

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Former Top Spook Spills His National Security Fears

Starting with an al-Qaeda attack on home soil

(Newser) - Michael Morell may have left his post as acting director of the CIA, but he's still haunted by fears of another attack like 9/11, which he guesses would involve al-Qaeda bringing down an airliner on American soil, potentially killing hundreds of people. "If that happened tomorrow, I would...

In a First, CIA's No. 2 Will Be a Woman

Avril Haines taking over deputy director job

(Newser) - CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell has announced his retirement, making way for the first woman to take the job. Avril Haines, 43, is a White House lawyer who has worked in the State Department and Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She hasn't worked in an intelligence post before, Bloomberg notes,...

Senate Launches Zero Dark Thirty Investigation

Both to look into classified disclosures and torture scenes

(Newser) - The Senate Intelligence Committee is launching an investigation into the CIA's ties to Zero Dark Thirty, both to see if intelligence officials gave filmmakers access to classified material, and to see if they're responsible for the film's controversial depiction of torture as essential to Osama bin Laden'...

CIA Chief Pans Zero Dark Thirty

Morell complains about emphasis on interrogation

(Newser) - Add none other than acting CIA chief Michael Morell to the list of critics of Zero Dark Thirty. In a memo to employees, Morell says the movie about the capture of Osama bin Laden gives too much weight to the use of harsh interrogation, reports E! Online . "The film...

Kerry Eyed as Defense Secretary

Susan Rice leading candidate to replace Hillary Clinton, insiders say

(Newser) - With Leon Panetta saying he'd "like to get back to California," President Obama is looking hard at John Kerry as his replacement at the Pentagon, reports the Washington Post . The move would be part of a major Obama administration shake-up that would include a permanent replacement for...

Pakistan Lets CIA Scour bin Laden House

Team will get its first up-close look at the place

(Newser) - Pakistan has given the CIA its blessing to search Osama bin Laden’s compound for anything American forces may have missed during their clandestine night raid. An agency forensics team is expected to land in Abbottabad in a matter of days, armed with high-tech equipment designed to sniff out anything...

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