WASHINGTON, May 26 (UPI) -- President Bush commended the Senate Friday for its confirmation of Gen. Michael Hayden as the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Hayden, current deputy to National Intelligence Director John Negroponte, was approved 78-15.
His nomination earlier this month to replace former congressman Porter Goss had immediately raised cautionary flags on Capitol Hill and the prospect of a bitter confirmation battle. As former head of the National Security Agency, Hayden implemented the president's controversial warrantless monitoring program of international telephone calls to and from the United States of people suspected of terrorist ties. Also raising questions was his status as an active-duty military officer. With the Pentagon already connected to the bulk of intelligence gathering activities, concern was expressed that Hayden would not be independent enough from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
Hayden, 61, dispelled that concern during confirmation hearings, and in the end his connection to the surveillance program proved not to be a stumbling block.
"I commend the Senate for confirming Michael Hayden as director of the Central Intelligence Agency by a bipartisan majority," Bush said in a statement. "Winning the War on Terror requires that America have the best intelligence possible, and his strong leadership will ensure that we do.
"Gen. Hayden is a patriot and a dedicated public servant whose broad experience, dedication, and expertise make him the right person to lead the CIA at this critical time."
