WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the CIA, GinaHaspel sought to withdraw over concerns about her role in the agency’sinterrogation program, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters onSunday.

Haspel’s offer to withdraw on Friday was prompted by growing concern amongher supporters that White House staff were becoming nervous that thenomination was in trouble, the sources said.

The Washington Post first reported her offer to withdraw.

Haspel was summoned to the White House on Friday for a meeting to discussher history in the interrogation program that employed techniques,including waterboarding, widely condemned as torture, the Post reported,citing four unidentified senior US officials.

She told the White House she would step aside to avoid a brutal SenateIntelligence Committee confirmation hearing on Wednesday that might damagethe CIA, the officials told the Post. She then returned to agencyheadquarters in Langley, Virginia.

White House aides including legislative affairs liaison Marc Short andspokeswoman Sarah Sanders then rushed to Langley for discussions on Fridaythat lasted several hours but did not secure a commitment from her to stickwith the nomination, the paper said.

Only on Saturday afternoon was the White House assured she would notwithdraw, the Post quoted the officials as saying.

“Acting Director Haspel is a highly qualified nominee who has dedicatedover three decades of service to her country,” White House spokesman RajShah said in response to a request for White House comment.

“Her nomination will not be derailed by partisan critics who side with theACLU (rights organization) over the CIA on how to keep the American peoplesafe,” he added.

Trump named Haspel, the first woman tapped to head the Central IntelligenceAgency, to succeed Mike Pompeo, who became secretary of state last month.

Haspel’s nomination has encountered opposition over her role in a defunctprogram in which the agency detained and interrogated al Qaeda suspects insecret prisons overseas using techniques widely condemned as torture.

Former President George W. Bush authorized the Rendition, Detention andInterrogation Program after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Many details of Haspel’s work remain classified. Sources familiar with hercareer who requested anonymity said that at one point she was the chief ofthe CIA station in a country where harsh interrogations were used on atleast one terrorism suspect.

Later, she served as chief of staff to Jose Rodriguez, the head of CIAundercover operations. In consultation with Rodriguez in 2005, Haspeldrafted a cable ordering CIA officers to destroy videotapes of al Qaedasuspects being tortured.

Haspel’s supporters argue that while she drafted the cable, Rodriguez sentit without the approval of CIA Director Porter Goss and without informingHaspel that he would do so.

The destruction of the tapes is a key issue for Senate critics of Haspel,who complain that public agency disclosures regarding its interrogationprograms have been inadequate. – APP/AFP