CIA will not resume torture, says Haspel
washington — US President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the CIA promised lawmakers on Wednesday she would never resume a programme of harsh interrogations, often denounced as torture, that has been the major issue complicating her confirmation.
Democratic senators have vowed to question nominee Gina Haspel, currently the spy agency’s acting director, about the issue at her Senate confirmation hearing. But those senators may find it more difficult to question her about the effectiveness of those and other controversial actions such as drone strikes because most information about
Having served in that tumultuous time, I can offer you my personal commitment, clearly and without reservation, that under my leadership CIA will not restart such a detention and interrogation programme Gina Haspel, Nominee for CIA head
them remains confidential. “Having served in that tumultuous time, I can offer you my personal commitment, clearly and without reservation, that under my leadership CIA will not restart such a detention and interrogation programme,” Haspel said in excerpts of her testimony released ahead of the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
Haspel needs 51 votes to be confirmed as the first woman director of the CIA in the 100-seat Senate, where Trump’s fellow Republicans hold a 51-49 majority. The agency’s former deputy director, she would succeed Mike Pompeo, a Republican former congressman confirmed last month as secretary of state. Haspel could face a difficult time being confirmed. At least one Republican, Senator Rand Paul, has said he opposes her confirmation, and others have said they will wait to see how she does at Wednesday’s hearing.
No Democrat has yet expressed support for Haspel.
Two sources familiar with preparations for the hearing said Haspel is regarded inside the CIA as a supporter of the so-called harsh interrogation techniques, and there is little if any record of her expressing objections or reservations about them. They said Haspel also agreed that harsh interrogation produced valuable intelligence. —