Washington, D.C. — Kelly Magsamen, vice president for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement after the confirmation hearing of Gina Haspel to lead the CIA:
Gina Haspel’s testimony today only added to the grave concerns about her role in the torture of detainees and actions to cover up those activities. Given her past record, the CIA’s refusal to declassify information about her role in the torture program, and her evasive answers to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s questions, the Senate should reject her nomination. Her responses today did little to inspire confidence that she truly understands the grave harm that the CIA’s torture program did to the security of the United States or that we should trust her to keep the CIA and the country away from similar catastrophes in the future. The United States—especially during the presidency of Donald Trump—cannot afford any open questions about whether its CIA director will have the judgment and moral fortitude to avoid a return to the grievous mistakes of the past or make any future poor decisions that violate American values and undermine our security.
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