Washington - US president-elect Barack Obama named former
Clinton White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to head the CIA and
nominated a retired Navy admiral to oversee the entire intelligence
community.
Dennis Blair, the chief of US Pacific Command from 1999 to 2002,
will become the director of national intelligence, a so-called czar
for coordinating the espionage activities and analyses of the
nation's 16 intelligence organizations.
In addition to the CIA, those include the Defence Intelligence
Agency and the super secret National Security Agency, as well as
outfits in the Army, Navy, Air Force, State Department and Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
The choice of Panetta, 70, has been questioned because he does
not have direct experience in the intelligence field, but also
reflects the difficulty of finding seasoned candidates untainted by
President George W Bush's harsh interrogation policies in the war on
terrorism.
The CIA has been criticized for its use of waterboarding on a
handful of terrorist suspects and other allegations of torture.
'I was clear throughout this campaign and have been clear
throughout this transition that under my administration the United
States does not torture,' Obama said. 'We will abide by the Geneva
Conventions, (and) we will uphold our highest values and ideals.'
'That is a clear charge that I have given to admiral Blair and to
Leon Panetta,' he said.
The selections fill out the most senior national security
positions for the Obama cabinet. The Senate must confirm both
nominees.
Obama, in December, named former rival Hillary Clinton as
secretary of state, and said that he was keeping Defence Secretary
Robert Gates in the post. Former Marine General James Jones will
serve as his national security advisor.
Blair, 61, will be responsible for providing the president with
daily intelligence briefings, usually the first order of business
every morning, and ensuring Obama receives a broad array of
perspectives from the various agencies.
Some Democratic and Republican senators have criticized the choice
of Panetta for his lack of experience and for it being leaked to the
media before members of Congress were briefed. But it is widely
expected that Panetta's nomination will clear the Senate.
USA
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