Biden's Leading CIA Director Pick Backed Torture

Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell, one of the two leading candidates expected to be nominated by Joe Biden to head the agency, could face opposition from Democrats for being an outspoken defender of the CIA's interrogation program, including torture. 

"Mike Morell wrote that torture was effective and moral," Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore, said on Twitter, reports The New York Times. "He’s wrong on both counts. He’s wrong on both counts. Before John Brennan decided to claim that Morell isn't a torture apologist, he should have read his book."

Wyden, a key Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee that will vote on any nominee's confirmation, has also warned Biden that Morell should not be nominated because his record as a "torture apologist" will make him a "nonstarter" for confirmation, reports CNN.  

Morell has in the past called the CIA's "enhanced interrogation" of terrorists moral and effective, in claims that went further those of other officials, including current Director Gina Haspel and former Director John Brennan, who have been scrutinized over how the CIA handles detainees at black sites.

Several sources told CNN that the decision on the CIA director is still up in the air. Earlier this week, Biden did not name his nominee for the spot, even though he unveiled picks for several other key national security leadership positions.

Avril Haines, his choice for Director of National Intelligence, has also been criticized by progressives, who say she's complicit in the CIA's use of torture after the 9/11 attacks. 

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