The top Democrat and top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee are questioning President-elect Obama’s choice to be the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the incoming chairwoman of the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence, said she had not been informed of former Rep. Leon Panetta’s (D-Calif.) nomination.
{mosads}”I know nothing about this, other than what I’ve read,” she told the Associated Press. “My
position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served
by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.”
Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), ranking member of the committee, raised the specter of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 in questioning Panetta’s experience after reports surfaced that Obama had tapped the former congressman and White House chief of staff to head the CIA.
“Job number one at the CIA is to track down and stop terrorists,” Bond said in a statement. “In a post-9-11 world, intelligence experience would seem to be a prerequisite for the job of CIA Director.”
Bond said in his statement that he will refrain from judging Panetta immediately, but he warned Obama and Panetta that he “will be looking hard at Panetta’s intelligence expertise and qualifications.”