Brennan appears before US senate

Lawmakers grill CIA nominee

WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama’s nominee for CIA director, John Brennan, told a Senate confirmation hearing yesterday he did not try to stop waterboarding as he faced tough congressional questioning on security leaks and the use of drones to kill US terrorism suspects.

He also said the United States employs drone strikes only as a deterrent against imminent terrorist threats, not as punishment for previous attacks, firmly defending the controversial attacks that have targeted Americans as well as foreigners overseas.

Lawmakers grilled Brennan on controversial counterterrorism tactics used while he was a CIA official under former President George W. Bush and in his current role as counterterrorism adviser to Obama.

Brennan has previously said he objected to the harsh interrogation techniques while at CIA. But appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee for his confirmation hearing, he acknowledged he did not attempt to stop the programme, pointing out he was not in charge of it.

“I did not take steps to stop the CIA’s use of those techniques. I was not in the chain of command of that programme,” Brennan said. He declined repeatedly to say whether waterboarding is torture, but he did say it is “something that is reprehensible and should never be done again.”

Democrats repeatedly questioned Brennan about the US government’s use of armed, unmanned aircraft known as drones. They pressed their demand that the White House provide them with more of the legal documents underpinning its position that Obama can order lethal strikes overseas on US citizens suspected of terrorist activity.

Brennan signalled in his written answers that he would not seek to expand the CIA’s paramilitary operations. In written responses to questions from the committee in advance of the hearing, Brennan wrote: “While the CIA needs to maintain a paramilitary capability ... the CIA should not be used, in my view, to carry out traditional military activities.”

Obama had wanted to pick Brennan for CIA director shortly after his 2008 election. But his chances were derailed mainly by liberal critics over the interrogation techniques used on some terrorism suspects in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Yesterday’s hearing was recessed shortly after Brennan started speaking because of protesters, who began yelling “Torture is always wrong” and “Stop the drones.”

Feinstein ordered the room cleared briefly.

Although there has been no groundswell of opposition to Brennan’s confirmation, some of the most intense questioning came from liberal Democrats, not the conservative Republicans who have raised the strongest objections to one of Obama’s other nominees — Chuck Hagel, his choice to lead the Pentagon.

Barring an unexpected development, Brennan is expected to be confirmed as the nation’s next head of the CIA is on track.

Herald with AP, Reuters