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{ americanthinker.com } ~ As Mike Pompeo takes his place as secretary of state, his designated successor at the agency he left, the Central Intelligence Agency, Gina Haspel... is facing a battle for confirmation as the organization's new director. Opponents have thrown out the argument that Haspel, a CIA veteran, participated in the war on terror over the last two decades. But Haspel should be confirmed as CIA director because she is on the side of justice and patriotism. Leftists are criticizing her for making terrorists uncomfortable. Those against her are willing to ignore her high qualifications and instead criticize her for playing a role in enhanced interrogations. The argument is absurd. Leon Panetta, president liar-nObama's CIA director and secretary of defense, said in his book: "The CIA got important, even critical intelligence from individuals subjected to these enhanced interrogation techniques." Yet critics, as reported in the New York Times, claim she oversaw "torture of terrorists" in the overseas black sites, where enhanced interrogation, including waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and confinement were common. One of the Times articles went on to say the terrorists suffered, "psychological damage." It never mentioned that Special Forces training includes these enhanced interrogation methods. These critics are more concerned about those who committed horrific acts of violence than those who suffered at the terrorists' hands. Not surprisingly the New York Times was not the only media publication trying to defame Haspel. Other press organs joining the bandwagon have included The Daily Beast, NPR, and the Washington Post, just to name a few... https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/04/why_gina_haspel_should_be_confirmed_as_cia_director.html
by Katie Pavlich
{ townhall.com } ~ After making it out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 11-9 Monday evening, CIA Director Mike Pompeo's nomination to be the next Secretary of State is headed to the Senate floor for a full confirmation vote on Thursday.
“Make no mistake: America is uniquely blessed, and with those blessings comes a duty to lead. As I have argued throughout my time in public service, if we do not lead the calls for democracy, prosperity, and human rights around the world, who will? No other nation is equipped with the same blend of power and principle," Pompeo said during his confirmation hearing two weeks ago.
"Senators, if confirmed, I would raise my hand and swear an oath to defend our Constitution for the seventh time in my life. The first time was as an eighteen-year-old West Point cadet. With this oath, I would commit to defend the exceptionalism enshrined in our Constitution, which provides for our obligation to engage in diplomacy and model the very best of America to the world," he continued.
Before the Committee vote Monday, President Trump berated Democrats for obstructionism.
After a discussion with President Trump, Republican Senator Rand Paul voted in favor of Pompeo after vowing to oppose him.
"As you know, with the success of what will hopefully soon be Secretary of State Pompeo, everybody was very surprised. I heard 10 minutes before the vote yesterday on committee that, 'He will not be approved at committee' -- which would be the first time in many, many decades that something like that would have happened with regard to a Secretary of State," Trump said. "Except I spoke to Rand Paul, and Rand Paul has really never let me down. Rand Paul is a good man. And I knew things that nobody else knew. And Rand Paul said, 'I'm going to change my vote,' and he voted, and everybody was surprised."
The full Senate voted will ensure Pompeo is sworn in before the meeting between President Trump and North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un in June.
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