John Brennan started working for the CIA when he saw an ad in a local newspaper over 25 years ago, and was nominated for the position of CIA director by President Barack Obama Jan. 7.
“A 25-year veteran of the CIA, John knows what our national security demands,” Obama said in a statement. “Intelligence that provides policy makers with the facts, strong analytic insights and a keen understanding of a dynamic world.”
If congress accepts him as the nominee, he will soon be officially appointed to the position.
“In John Brennan, the men and women of the CIA will have leadership of one of our nation’s most skilled and respected intelligence professionals,” Obama said in the statement.
Brennan has worked as Obama’s adviser for counterterrorism and homeland security since 2009.
In 2008, when Obama was looking for a CIA director, Brennan removed his name from consideration because of the criticism he received for the harsh methods of interrogation he used as deputy executive director during George W. Bush’s presidency.
Republican Sen. John McCain said in a statement, “I have many questions and concerns about his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency, especially what role he played in the so-called enhanced interrogation programs while serving at the CIA during the last administration, as well as his public defense of those programs.”
While Brennan was a part of the CIA he gained a “deep knowledge” of the Mideast, and speaks fluent Arabic, CNN reported.
He was also directly involved in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
“There is another reason I value John so much,” Obama said in the statement, “and that is his integrity and his commitment to the values that define us as Americans.”
