National Security Officials Quietly Prepare Backup Plan If Haspel Fails

CIA director nominee Gina Haspel attends the ceremonial swearing-in of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department on May 2, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo credit sho... CIA director nominee Gina Haspel attends the ceremonial swearing-in of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department on May 2, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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National security officials and Republicans are preparing contingency plans behind the scenes should President Donald Trump’s CIA director nominee Gina Haspel fail to be confirmed, according to a Monday CNN report.

One of the rumored plans is to groom Susan Gordon, the deputy director of national intelligence, for the job. Gordon has worked in the CIA for decades, specializing in intelligence technology.

Haspel is slated to face tough confirmation hearings on Wednesday, where her participation in a Bush-era torture program will certainly be raised. She reportedly considered backing out of the process on Friday due to the likely grueling questioning.

 

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  1. Gordon has worked in the CIA for decades, specializing in intelligence technology.
    So, they had a person who could probably sail through the confirmation hearings, and someone who just might have been admired and hailed for her competence, but instead nominate someone who is vilified for being a supporter of torture.
    Yeah, the Trump Team would do that, wouldn’t they?

  2. I know. But I suspect that Bolton et al. want a pliant person heading the CIA in case the Maladministration wants to tout a false narrative, a la GWB and WMD. Perhaps this time it will be WMD in Iran.

  3. She reportedly considered backing out of the process on Friday due to the likely grueling questioning.

  4. There’s gotta be some juicy stuff that hasn’t been released publicly, or there wouldn’t be all this stress…

  5. because when they asked her and Haspel to kowtow, Gordon didn’t prostrate low enough

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