Numerous reactions and criticism following Trump's decision on new CIA chief

President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Tuesday his appointment of Mrs. Gina Haspel to head the Central Intelligence Agency to replace outgoing CIA director Mike Pompeo after being appointed to lead the State Department.

“is the right man”, the President Trump later told reporters near the White House, while leaving for a trip to California. “I've known it well these days”

Mrs. Haspel, who has so far served as deputy director of the CIA, has an extensive 30-year experience with the agency, in overseas management missions, in countries like London, as well as in clandestine operations.

“I am grateful to President Trump for the opportunity, and submitted to the role entrusted to me by”, Mrs. Haspel said in a statement issued by the White House on Tuesday. If I'm confirmed, I look forward to giving President Trump the extraordinary support of the intelligence agency he's been waiting for”.

“An exemplary detection officer”

Pompeii gave high marks to Mrs. Haspel when she chose him as the agency's number two.

“Gina is an exemplary intelligence officer,” said Pompeii at the time. “She is also a tried leader with a strange ability to solve problems and inspire those around her”.

The appointment of Mrs. Haspel to run the CIA was further strengthened late Tuesday, when the director for National Intelligence, Dan Coats, issued a statement calling it a powerful “selection”.

Current and former officials have unreservedly praised Mrs. Haspel, some saying it would bring an improvement in the management of the agency, compared to Mr. Pompeii, who, while respected, was viewed as very political.

“The CIA will now be better off with an intelligence professional as its head”, said Paul Pearl, a former senior CIA officer who now works with “Georgetown” University.

Former officials say Ms. Haspel is a perfect choice, while the spying agency and the Trump administration face a turbulent climate created by unexpected changes.

If they want to end the riots as soon as possible, they have made the right choice by establishing a higher degree of loving and respected official, experienced at the agency”, said former CIA Director General Michael Hayden for the “The Cycler Brief”, a website focused on intelligence and security issues. I think the CIA will be quite quiet about this election. ”

Former colleagues also stress its experience with both Russia and the end of the Cold War, as well as the agency's anti-terrorism efforts following the September 11th 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

Some key lawmakers have also indicated in favour of appointing Mrs. Haspel.

“I personally know,” said in a statement the chairman of the Intelligence Commission in the Richard Burr Senate. “I'm proud of her work. ”

It has the right skills, experience and trial to lead one of our country's most critical agencies,” said Mr. Burr.

Haspel, dark “ ” and torture

However, others have been much more critical, specifically highlighting its time of running a CIA prison in Thailand, one of several so-called black-called “states of”, in which persons suspected of terrorism were held and questioned, forcing them sometimes to undergo severe interrogation techniques.

There has also been criticism of Mrs. Haspel's alleged involvement in the destruction of film evidence documenting some of the interrogations.

“Torturing US arrested prisoners over the past decade was one of the darkest chapters of American history,”, Senate Armed Services Commission Chairman John McCain said in a statement Tuesday.

“Zj. Haspel must explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA interrogation programme during the confirmation process, Senator McCain, a republic who himself was tortured as a war prisoner in Vietnam. The current American “is clear in preventing extensive interrogation techniques. Any candidate for CIA leadership should pledge without reservation to support this ban under law “.

Democrat Senator Ron Wyden, who serves at the Senate's Intelligence Commission, went further:

Mrs. Haspel's background makes it inappropriate to serve as CIA director, “said Senator Wyden in a statement. Its “Ename must include full transparency regarding this biography, which I requested more than a year ago when it was appointed deputy director”.

There has already been a protest by human rights groups.

“No one who had anything to do with torturing individuals does not deserve to hold public office, let me run an agency”, Raha Wallace said with the Human Rights First organisation. Allowing someone who had a direct hand in this illegal, immoral and counterproductive program is like willingly forgetting the dark history of our country with torture”.

At least one group, E The CCHR or the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights has even called for the arrest of Mrs. Haspel, giving German prosecutors a brief summary stating that she supervised the daily torture of two prisoners and, as a responsible official, had the authority to complete this tactic.

It alone had the responsibility to end torture, but did not do so,” said in June 2017 the E Secretary General CCHR, Wolfgang Kaleck. The next “would be to issue a warrant for his arrest. ”

There have been questions about how Miss Haspel's reputation will affect terrorism as severe if it is confirmed in this post.

“Under the Trump administration we are seeing an increase in missions and operations led by the CIA”, said Rachel Stoll, manager of the Stimson Centre.

“There has been an increase in CIA use for the” fears attacks, Stoll said. In view of Gina Haspel's biography, its operational expertise and expertise, maybe we will see this tendency continue”. / VoA