US Senate panel approves Haspel as new CIA director

A key US Senate Committee has approved the nomination of veteran intelligence officer Gina Haspel to become the new director of the CIA despite the bitter debate over her role in the torture used by the US on Al-Qaida detainees in the early 2000s.

Her nomination now goes to the full Senate for confirmation. If confirmed, she would be the first woman director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Senate Select Intelligence Committee passed Haspel’s nomination by 10-5 votes.

All eight Republicans and two of the seven Democrats on the Senate intelligence committee supported Haspel. The remaining five Democrats had already announced their opposition and did not change their minds.

Haspel, a career intelligence officer, told Senators she would not agree to restart such an interrogation programme in future, but she has avoided decrying torture as immoral per se.