Spooked By the New Guy
President-Elect Obama may have pleased his base by naming a CIA chief—former Clinton aide Leon Panetta—who had nothing to do with the Bush administration's controversial interrogation practices. But Obama may have riled them back up with his decision to give adviser John Brennan, who abandoned his bid for the top CIA job when left-wing bloggers pelted him for defending some agency actions, a wide-ranging counterterrorism portfolio in the White House. The post is not subject to Senate confirmation. Several intel and political sources, who asked for anonymity when discussing personnel matters, said that Obama also wants to retain CIA Deputy Director Steve Kappes, a favorite of congressional Democrats, whose involvement with contentious Bush policies was deeper than Brennan's.
Liberal activists are frothing for investigations into officials who carried out warrantless-wiretapping policies and employed "enhanced" interrogation techniques on captured terror suspects. They hope to have an ally in Panetta, who wrote an article in 2008 strongly condemning the use of "torture" in the name of "national security." Some anxious spies fear the new CIA chief could launch a witch hunt—one that would destroy morale and make the agency more risk-averse.
Officials familiar with the views of Obama's team insist there's no massive probe coming. But a senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Oregon's Ron Wyden, told NEWSWEEK he will push to declassify top-secret CIA interrogation files outlining how the agency came to use methods such as waterboarding; what its legal authorizations were for doing so; and what (if any) evidence exists to demonstrate that such techniques actually worked. Wyden said he has raised declassification with Obama's team; no word on their reply. "The terroristdetention program has operated in strict accord with the law," said CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano. "Were that not the case, there would indeed be cause for concern."
Like The Daily Beast on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates all day long.
Mark Hosenball joined Newsweek as an investigative correspondent in November 1993, covering a range of issues for the National Affairs department. Most recently, he has written and reported numerous stories on terrorism and the Sept. 11 attacks on America. He has also covered campaign finance, the Monica Lewinsky controversy, the death of Princess Diana, Whitewater, the crashes of EgyptAir flight 990 and TWA flight 800, as well as related air safety issues.
Hosenball came to Newsweek from "Dateline NBC," where he worked as an investigative producer. He also worked extensively as a print journalist, writing for a number of British and American publications, including the London Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard, Time Out, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New Republic. In addition, he has done commentaries for American Public Radio.
Hosenball has been honored with a number of prestigious awards. Most recently, along with a team of Newsweek correspondents, he was awarded the Overseas Press Club's most prestigious honor, the 2002 Ed Cunningham Memorial Award for best magazine reporting from abroad for Newsweek's coverage of the war on terror. His reporting and that of his colleagues earned Newsweek the prestigious National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2002 for its coverage of September 11 and its aftermath. And a story he co-authored was highlighted in a citation Newsweek received by the White House Correspondents' Association when it awarded the magazine the 2002 Edgar A. Poe Award for "excellence on a story of national or regional importance. "Newsweek's September 11 coverage started long before the attacks. An article in the magazine's February 19, 2001 issue warned with chilling accuracy: 'The threat posed by (Osama) bin Laden is growing -- and coming ever closer to home."
Hosenball was a contributor to the CANAL + TV documentary, "L'Argent de la Drogue" (Drug Money), which was awarded the "Sept D'Or," the French equivalent of an Emmy. He also contributed to NBC News' coverage of the BCCI scandal, which earned a 1991 Peabody Award.
He attended the University of Pennsylvania and Trinity College in Dublin. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife and son.
For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
Comments