Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service

Leon Panetta, nominee for Director of the CIA, was quizzed today in a full committee room by the Senate Select Intelligence Committee.

In his opening statement Panetta said: “First I want to work with the professionals to get into the detail of all our operations and to make certain that we are responding to our fundamental intelligence needs...Second, I want to focus on improving intelligence coordination and collaboration...Third, I want to rebuild a close working and consultative relationship with Congress.”

The hearing focused on Panetta’s lack of experience in the intelligence field, raised by Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo), Vice Chairman of the committee.

Senator Bond said: “Many of us were surprised by your nomination because we believed that the next CIA Director should have a professional intelligence background, which you clearly do not have. This raises a number of questions that I will seek your answers to today”.

Panetta began his career in the Army as an intelligence office, then went on to working with policy-makers and to serve in Congress. He leads a complex federal agency and has served as a White House Chief of Staff. At the White House Panetta worked on many sensitive issues. He has also worked with the Iraq Study Group, relying on CIA insight and other intelligence agencies.

Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla) posed a hypothetical situation to Mr. Panetta about his actions as Director of the CIA if a CIA member leaked classified information. Mr. Panetta responded to the committee that he would see this as a “breach” which he would alert to the committee and would “recommend pulling their clearance”.

Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) questioned Panetta on his views on Osama Bin Laden. Mr. Panetta said: “One of the responsibilities we have is to go after our worst enemy and that is Osama Bin Laden...there is a continuing effort to ensure that we try to do everything possible to try to find him and that would be one of my priorities frankly, to make sure that we do in fact find him and bring him to justice.”

Panetta was also questioned on torture, sharing intelligence, guantanamo bay and potential threats. The hearing lasted for over 120 minutes.