CIA/HEARING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the CIA, is waging a behind-the-scenes effort to win over lawmakers amid concern from some in the Trump administration and Republican circles that she may have trouble winning confirmation, according to multiple sources familiar with her work. Haspel, who is under scrutiny because of her past oversight of a CIA ‘black site’ in Thailand, has told senators over the past two weeks that she understands waterboarding is illegal and that she would follow the law if confirmed, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversations. She has also distanced herself from the destruction of CIA tapings of harsh interrogations, saying she didn’t order the tapes to be destroyed, the sources said. And she has argued that the post 9/11 mindset in the CIA and federal laws over interrogation tactics are far different today. It’s all part of an effort, the sources say, to explain Haspel’s ties to the detention and interrogation program during the Bush era. The campaign could prove crucial in determining whether Haspel will advance to one of the premier positions in American intelligence, and make history if she were to become the first woman to lead the CIA.”
-Manu Raju, Jeremy Herb and Jenna McLaughlin, “How Gina Haspel is trying to overcome her past to become the next CIA director,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Mar. 27, 2018 1:41pm