Former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell speaks at an election security forum.
Washington:
Two former senior US intelligence officials – Michael Morell and Avril Haines – have become prominent candidates to become director of national intelligence or lead the CIA in the administration of President-elect Joe Biden, several current and former intelligence officials have said. .
Morell served as Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the Obama administration between 2010 and 2013, and during that time he also served two roles as Acting Agency Director.
Haines, was deputy director of the CIA and deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, the sources said.
Haines declined to comment and Morell could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for Biden’s transition team declined to comment.
Some former Democratic aides have raised concerns about Haines and Morell because they were serving with the CIA when the agency used “enhanced interrogation” techniques on suspected Islamist militants, practices that were investigated by the CIA. Senate Intelligence Committee called it torture.
Michael Leiter, former DNI official and former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, a branch of the DNI office, and Mike Rogers, a former Republican congressman who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, the sources said.
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