Barack Obama has broken with the controversial intelligence
practices of George Bush by appointing a former White House
official with no relevant experience to lead the CIA.
The selection of Leon Panetta, who was Bill Clinton's chief
of staff, was intended to tell Americans the era of waterboarding,
warrantless wiretapping, extraordinary renditions and secret
prisons was now over.
President-Elect Obama ignored a list of former and current
CIA officials who had impressive credentials but who had worked
in intelligence during the Bush administration's development
of controversial policies or during earlier failures.
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The premier US spy agency has still to recover its reputation
fully from failing to prevent the Sept 11 attacks and providing
faulty intelligence on Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Obama's shift away from career intelligence officers to
a nominee renowned as a skilled manager also appears to be
an attempt to insulate the White House from the sometimes
parochial agendas of the 16 different secret agencies.
But news of Mr Panetta's selection, which has been confirmed
by Democratic sources but not yet officially announced, drew
sharp criticism from both parties.
