It will make Haspel, a 61-year-old Russia specialist, the first-ever woman to lead the CIA, and the first director who spent an entire career in the agency's clandestine services. President Donald Trump, in a tweet, called Haspel "exceptionally qualified and the Senate should confirm her immediately. It was that period, from 2001 to 2005, that has cast a shadow both on the CIA and Haspel's resume. Her nomination had strong support from inside the agency and across the intelligence community, where even strong opponents of Trump backed her. "Gina Haspel is precisely the kind of truth teller you want in the room when important decisions are being made," said former CIA director Michael Hayden.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 17, 2018 02:15 UTC