WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the CIA will promiselawmakers on Wednesday she will never resume a program of harshinterrogations, often denounced as torture, that has been the major issuecomplicating her confirmation.
Democratic senators have vowed to question nominee Gina Haspel, currentlythe spy agency’s acting director, about her role in the use of harshinterrogation methods during former President George W. Bush’sadministration, as
well as the destruction of videotapes documenting the questioning.
“Having served in that tumultuous time, I can offer you my personalcommitment, clearly and without reservation, that under my leadership CIAwill not restart such a detention and interrogation program,” Haspel saidin excerpts of her testimony released ahead of the Senate IntelligenceCommittee hearing.
Public questioning of Haspel on issues such as the effectiveness of theinterrogations, CIA drone strikes and agency “renditions” of suspectedmilitants to third countries may be limited because the operations remainclassified.
Haspel needs 51 votes to be confirmed as the first woman director of theCIA in the 100-seat Senate, where Trump’s fellow Republicans hold a 51-49majority. The agency’s former deputy director, she would succeed MikePompeo, a Republican former congressman confirmed last month as secretaryof state.
Haspel already has the strong support of many Republicans. As he opened thehearing, the panel’s Republican chairman, Richard Burr, praised Haspel.
“I believe your intellectual rigor, honorable service and outstandingjudgment make you a natural fit to lead the CIA,” he said, urging that thehearing not be made “a trial about a long-shuttered program.”But Haspelcould face a difficult time being confirmed. At least one Republican,Senator Rand Paul, has said he opposes her, and others have said they willwait to see how she does at Wednesday’s hearing.No Democrat has yetexpressed support for Haspel.