On Friday January 9th 2009, Barak Obama officially announced his nomination of Leon Panetta, former Clinton White House chief of staff, to head the CIA. The nomination came as a surprise to the intelligence community, and drew sharp criticism from incoming Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Diane Feinstein (CA-D), who had not been consulted about the selection. Barak Obama’s nomination of an intelligence community outsider to the position of CIA director indicated a clean break from Bush administration policies. However, it may, also, indicate the Obama administration will have a troubled relationship with the intelligence community.
Obama’s criticism of Bush administration counter-terror policies, which the CIA had a central role in, were a key element of campaign speeches. Obama fed off of anti-war sentiment in harsh statements about administrative detentions, coercive interrogations techniques, and the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program. He won wide-spread popular support for his pledge to close Guantanamo Bay prison, and spoke consistently of the need to restore American values to the fight against terror. In 2006, Obama was one of 15 Senators to vote against the confirmation of acting CIA Director Michael Hayden, citing his role as “the architect and chief defender of a program of wiretapping and collection of phone records.” (1)
Obama was pressured by numerous officials, including the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Silvestre Rees (TX-R), to not immediately replace the Director of National Intelligence, and the Director of the CIA to ease the incoming administration’s relationship with the intelligence community. Intelligence officials have been expressing a quiet anxiety over the incoming Obama administration, because of widespread speculation that his proposed restrictions on intelligence programs will hamper the war on terror. (2) Obama, however, opted to find immediate replacements for both positions, and his appointment of Leon Panetta contributed to the growing fears.
Leon Panetta is an outsider to the intelligence community. He was elected to 9 terms as a California congressman, was director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1993-1994, was Bill Clinton’s White House chief of staff from 1994-1997, and was a member of the Iraq Study Group. Panetta was a high-level intelligence consumer as chief of staff, and is familiar with budget issues in the intelligence community due to his service as director of the OMB, however, his lack of hands on experience with intelligence-related matters made his nomination the subject of intense criticism. Obama vigorously defended the nomination claiming that his administration would be, “committed to breaking with some of the past practices that tarnished the image,” of the intelligence community. (3) Obama has invited Deputy Director of the CIA, Stephen Kappes, to remain in his position to ease concerns about the transition in leadership.
(2) “Rift between CIA and Obama transition team continues”. Intelnews.org. 12/10/08
(3) “Obama seeks to mend rift over Panetta pick”. Mark Mazetti. New York Times. 1/6/09
