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| White House to provide Senate with drone memos ahead of Brennan vote | White House to provide Senate with drone memos ahead of Brennan vote |
| (4 months later) | |
| The White House is providing members of the Senate Intelligence Committee with access to all of the top-secret legal opinions that justify the use of lethal drone strikes against terror suspects as the Obama administration seeks to clear the way for Tuesday's expected confirmation of John Brennan to run the CIA, the committee's chairwoman said. | The White House is providing members of the Senate Intelligence Committee with access to all of the top-secret legal opinions that justify the use of lethal drone strikes against terror suspects as the Obama administration seeks to clear the way for Tuesday's expected confirmation of John Brennan to run the CIA, the committee's chairwoman said. |
| Brennan's installation at the spy agency has been held up as both Democrats and Republicans pressed the administration to allow a review of the classified documents prepared by the Justice Department. The senators have argued they can't perform adequate oversight without reviewing the contents of the opinions. | Brennan's installation at the spy agency has been held up as both Democrats and Republicans pressed the administration to allow a review of the classified documents prepared by the Justice Department. The senators have argued they can't perform adequate oversight without reviewing the contents of the opinions. |
| "I am pleased the administration has made this information available," senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, said in a statement. "It is important for the committee to do its work and will pave the way for the confirmation of John Brennan to be CIA director." | "I am pleased the administration has made this information available," senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, said in a statement. "It is important for the committee to do its work and will pave the way for the confirmation of John Brennan to be CIA director." |
| A vote on his confirmation was expected Tuesday afternoon. | A vote on his confirmation was expected Tuesday afternoon. |
| Even with the agreement on access to the memos, Senate Republicans have been threatening to oppose Brennan's confirmation unless the White House supplies them with classified information, including emails among top national security officials, detailing the administration's actions immediately following the 11 September 2012, attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed. | Even with the agreement on access to the memos, Senate Republicans have been threatening to oppose Brennan's confirmation unless the White House supplies them with classified information, including emails among top national security officials, detailing the administration's actions immediately following the 11 September 2012, attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed. |
| Brennan so far has escaped the harsh treatment that former senator Chuck Hagel, the president's choice to lead the Defense Department, received from Senate Republicans, even though Brennan is one of Obama's most important national security aides and the White House official who oversees the drone program. | Brennan so far has escaped the harsh treatment that former senator Chuck Hagel, the president's choice to lead the Defense Department, received from Senate Republicans, even though Brennan is one of Obama's most important national security aides and the White House official who oversees the drone program. |
| Brennan also served as a senior CIA official during President George W Bush's administration, when waterboarding and other forms of "enhanced interrogation" and detention practices were adopted. Brennan has publicly denounced the use of these tactics, but the cloud has not gone completely away. | Brennan also served as a senior CIA official during President George W Bush's administration, when waterboarding and other forms of "enhanced interrogation" and detention practices were adopted. Brennan has publicly denounced the use of these tactics, but the cloud has not gone completely away. |
| Brennan's stance on waterboarding and torture is inconsistent, senator John McCain, a Republican, has said. Although Brennan has decried these methods, he also has said they saved lives, according to McCain. | Brennan's stance on waterboarding and torture is inconsistent, senator John McCain, a Republican, has said. Although Brennan has decried these methods, he also has said they saved lives, according to McCain. |
| "All we want is the answers," McCain said Monday. "I'm not threatening anything. I just think we deserve the answers." | "All we want is the answers," McCain said Monday. "I'm not threatening anything. I just think we deserve the answers." |
| Senate Republicans put Hagel through a bruising confirmation process. They labeled their former Republican colleague as a political turncoat for attacking the Bush administration's handling of the war in Iraq, and they cast him as hostile toward Israel, soft on Iran and unqualified for the job. | Senate Republicans put Hagel through a bruising confirmation process. They labeled their former Republican colleague as a political turncoat for attacking the Bush administration's handling of the war in Iraq, and they cast him as hostile toward Israel, soft on Iran and unqualified for the job. |
| Hagel still was confirmed in the end. | Hagel still was confirmed in the end. |
| Criticism of Brennan has been less intense. He has won praise from several lawmakers as the best qualified candidate to lead the CIA. Brennan, 57, is a veteran of more than three decades of intelligence work. | Criticism of Brennan has been less intense. He has won praise from several lawmakers as the best qualified candidate to lead the CIA. Brennan, 57, is a veteran of more than three decades of intelligence work. |
| Drone strikes are employed only as a "last resort", Brennan told the committee. But he also said he had no qualms about going after US-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in September 2011. A drone strike in Yemen killed al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, both US citizens. A drone strike two weeks later killed al-Awlaki's 16-year-old son, a US native. | Drone strikes are employed only as a "last resort", Brennan told the committee. But he also said he had no qualms about going after US-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in September 2011. A drone strike in Yemen killed al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, both US citizens. A drone strike two weeks later killed al-Awlaki's 16-year-old son, a US native. |
| Brennan spent 25 years at the CIA before moving in 2003 from his job as deputy executive director of the agency to run the Terrorist Threat Integration Center. He later worked as interim director of the center's successor organisation, the National Counterterrorism Center. | Brennan spent 25 years at the CIA before moving in 2003 from his job as deputy executive director of the agency to run the Terrorist Threat Integration Center. He later worked as interim director of the center's successor organisation, the National Counterterrorism Center. |
| When Bush's second term began in 2005, Brennan left government to work for a company that provides counter-terror analysis to federal agencies. After Obama took office in 2009, he returned to the federal payroll as the president's top counter-terrorism adviser in the White House. | When Bush's second term began in 2005, Brennan left government to work for a company that provides counter-terror analysis to federal agencies. After Obama took office in 2009, he returned to the federal payroll as the president's top counter-terrorism adviser in the White House. |
| If confirmed by the full Senate, Brennan would replace Michael Morell, the CIA's deputy director who has been acting director since David Petraeus resigned in November after acknowledging an affair with his biographer. | If confirmed by the full Senate, Brennan would replace Michael Morell, the CIA's deputy director who has been acting director since David Petraeus resigned in November after acknowledging an affair with his biographer. |
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