Barack Obama names CIA chief

Calcutta News.Net
Tuesday 6th January, 2009

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President-elect Barack Obama has decided to give a former White House chief of staff, Leon Panetta, the job of heading the CIA.

The selection of Panetta came as a surprise to many in the intelligence community, who have sometimes recently been criticized for harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects.

Panetta has had no national security experience, apart from participating in daily intelligence briefings with his former boss, President Bill Clinton.

Panetta served as Clinton's chief of staff between 1994 and 1997 when he was best known as an expert on bringing deficits into line.

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