International   

Bush faces battle over CIA choice

Suzanne Goldenberg

Washington: George Bush's choice of a controversial air force general to head the CIA has raised the prospect of a contentious confirmation battle amid Republican and Democratic alarm that the civilian spy agency risks being swallowed up by the Pentagon.

Mr. Bush formally nominated Gen. Michael Hayden, an air force officer who is deputy to the intelligence overlord, John Negroponte, on Monday, working to ease his passage by putting forward a concerted defence from several administration officials. ``Mike Hayden is supremely qualified for this position,'' Mr. Bush said. ``He knows the intelligence community from the ground up.''

Confirmation task

If confirmed, Gen. Hayden will replace Porter Goss, who was forced to resign last week after barely two years on the job. But he could face a much tougher confirmation battle than anticipated. Republicans and Democrats closed ranks to express their opposition to the choice of a military officer to head the CIA at a time when the Pentagon is trying to expand its role in intelligence gathering.

Gen. Hayden is also controversial for his role in the unsanctioned surveillance of E-mail and telephone calls of American citizens in his previous job as director of the National Security Agency.

``The debate in the Senate may end up being about the terrorist surveillance programme and not about the future of the CIA or the intelligence community, which is exactly where the debate needs to be,'' Peter Hoekstra, the Republican chairman of the house intelligence committee, told CBS television on Monday.

The administration tried to address concerns that the CIA was in for a further period of instability. ``The intent was to convey a message of reassurance that going forward we want to build on the existing strengths of the CIA,'' Mr. Negroponte said.

He also said Gen. Hayden would be well placed to stand up to the Pentagon. ``Michael Hayden is a very very independent minded person. and I don't think would have any difficulties taking on positions that are independent.'' —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Stalemate persists in Italy
Colombo, LTTE blame each other for violence
Blair denies Straw-Iran link
Relocation of refugees
Bush faces battle over CIA choice
Protests mark V-Day
Short of breath and short of a record too
Fury over degrees of deafness
Jackie Chan the generous
Students die in accident
Rigging charge in Fiji

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu