John Brennan Confirmed As CIA Director

John Brennan Confirmed As CIA Director Following White House Drone Statement -- Washington Post

John O. Brennan was confirmed as CIA director on Thursday afternoon, after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) expressed satisfaction with the response he had received to his questions about the Obama administration’s drone program.

Paul engaged in a nearly 13-hour talking filibuster against Brennan’s nomination on Wednesday, ending after midnight on Thursday morning. Throughout the filibuster, Paul said he simply wanted the White House to clarify that it would not use unmanned aerial drones to kill American citizens on U.S. soil — a point he felt the White House hadn’t been clear enough on.

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More News On The Confirmation of John Brennan As CIA Director

Senate confirms Brennan as new CIA director -- Reuters
Senate clears Brennan as CIA chief -- AP
As drone furor ebbs, Senate confirms Brennan as CIA director -- NBC
Brennan confirmed for CIA after drone delay -- CNN
Senate Confirms John Brennan as Director of CIA on 63-34 Vote -- Bloomberg
Senate confirms CIA director Brennan after Paul gets assurances -- Washington Times
Senate confirms John Brennan to CIA post -- Politico
Senate Confirms John Brennan as CIA Director -- ABC News
John Brennan confirmed as CIA head after filibuster -- BBC
Senate Approves Nomination Of John Brennan As CIA Chief -- NPR

U.S. Senate intelligence Committee Approves John Brennan's CIA Nomination

Senate Intelligence Panel Approves Brennan's CIA Nomination -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The Senate Intelligence Committee voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve John Brennan as President Barack Obama's new CIA director, after the committee resolved a dispute with the White House over access to classified legal opinions on the targeted killings of U.S. citizens overseas.

The vote clears a major hurdle for Brennan, currently Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser. While he seems likely to ultimately win confirmation by the full Senate, his nomination still could face further delays from Republican lawmakers.

The committee vote, at a closed-door meeting, was 12-3, according to Senator Dianne Feinstein, the committee's Democratic chairwoman.

The "no" votes were cast by Republican Senators Tom Coburn, Saxby Chambliss and James Risch. But other Republican committee members joined the panel's majority Democrats in voting to approve Brennan's nomination.

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More News On the U.S. Senate intelligence Committee Approving John Brennan's CIA Nomination

Senate committee approves Brennan for CIA post, 12 to 3 -- Washington Post
Senate panel votes to approve Obama's CIA nominee -- Mercury News/AP
Senate panel votes to move Brennan's CIA nomination forward -- NBC
Nominee to Lead C.I.A. Clears Hurdle After Release of Drone Data -- New York Times
Senate committee approves Brennan as CIA director -- L.A. Times
Senate intelligence panel OKs Brennan nomination for CIA director -- Washington Times
Brennan’s Nomination to Head CIA Advances to Senate Floor -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Senate intelligence panel approves Brennan to head CIA -- USA Today
CIA Pick Clears Committee But Faces Hurdles -- Wall Street Journal
Senate panel approves John Brennan's nomination as CIA director -- The Guardian
Senate panel pushes forward CIA director nomination -- Deutsche Welle
John Brennan CIA nomination moved forward -- BBC
White House Trades Targeted-Killing Memos for a New CIA Director -- Danger Room
Brennan CIA nomination clears panel. What did White House have to divulge? -- Christian Science Monitor
Brennan, approved by committee, still faces battle from Republicans -- CNN

What's Holding Up John Brennan's Confirmation As CIA Director?

Who's Holding Up John Brennan's Confirmation? -- Passport/Foreign Policy

Almost two months after Barack Obama nominated John Brennan to become his next CIA director, the White House counterterrorism advisor's confirmation remains out of reach. Practically no one doubts Brennan will eventually be confirmed, but a few key actors and a few key issues remain obstacles for the White House and its nominee. Here's what's in the way:

Benghazi

On Sunday, fellow amigos John McCain and Lindsey Graham took to CBS's Face the Nation to renew their months-long quest for more information on the terrorist attack in Benghazi -- and to threaten delays for Brennan's confirmation. One of the key sticking points has been the altered talking points provided to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice before she went on a range of Sunday talk shows to discuss the attacks. Last week, the White House provided the senators access to the e-mails discussing the changes in a classified hearing. But Graham and McCain said portions of the e-mails were too heavily redacted. In addition, they also want access to FBI interviews of the survivors. "John and I are hell bent on making sure the American people understand this debacle called Benghazi," said Graham.

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My Comment: C'mon .... the White House never thought that it was going to be that easy?

U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Postponed Until Next Week CIA Nominee Brennan's Confirmation Vote

Deputy National Security Adviser John Brennan testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his nomination to be the Director of the CIA, on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 7, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Reed

A Battle Brews Over CIA Pick -- Wall Street Journal

As the battle over Chuck Hagel's confirmation as defense secretary winds down, another appears to be just heating up: Republicans are threatening to block the nomination of John Brennan to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Senate on Tuesday voted to end a filibuster on Mr. Hagel's nomination, a move that resolved a fight that was partly about Mr. Hagel's qualifications and partly about the administration's handling of foreign-policy issues.

The GOP has used its leverage in the Senate confirmation process to put pressure on the Obama administration and extract information about last year's attack in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead.

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More News Over The Nomination Of CIA Director Nominee John Brennan

Senate panel delays CIA nominee Brennan's confirmation vote -- Reuters
Vote on Brennan for CIA post put off -- Washington Times
Brennan's Intelligence committee vote delayed -- CNN
Committee to vote next week on CIA director -- Politico
Senators Delay Brennan Vote After Seeing Benghazi E-Mails -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Those Missing Drone Memos Are Now John Brennan's Worst Enemy -- Government Executive
Senate committee postpones vote on CIA nominee Brennan -- Global Post
Chambliss: Brennan Involved in Drafting Benghazi Talking Points -- Newsmax
Those Missing Drone Memos Are Now John Brennan's Worst Enemy -- The Atlantic

CIA Nominee John Brennan On The 'Hot Seat'

Senators Push Brennan On Misleading Testimony -- Weekly Standard

John Brennan, President Obama’s nominee to run the Central Intelligence Agency, is getting renewed scrutiny for a highly questionable claim he made during his confirmation hearings last week. On Tuesday, two Republicans on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Marco Rubio and James Risch, wrote to Brennan to request additional information concerning Ali Harzi, a suspect in the attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi.

Brenan, in an exchange with Rubio, had said of Harzi that the U.S. government “didn’t have anything on him.” The claim is almost certainly false. The U.S. government provided evidence of Harzi’s involvement in those attacks to the governments of Turkey and Tunisia, which had both held Harzi as the U.S. tried to gain access to him for questioning.

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My Comment: This is not the first time that he has publicly mentioned intelligence details that has put him on the 'hot seat'. But even with these remarks I doubt that it is going to derail his confirmation process. President Obama wants him and the Democrats are not going to vote against his nominee. On a side note .... this focus on his nomination has resulted in some interesting ideas being floated about .... with the idea of establishing a FISA-like court for drone strikes probably being the most controversial. But will this be established ... I doubt it. Adding another layer on how we conduct war is not going to change the dynamics in this type of conflict .... if anything it will only impede it.

U.S. Senate To Delay Vote On The Nomination Of John Brennan As CIA Director

Senators Delay Vote On Brennan, Seek More Information About Drone Campaign -- Washington Post

A Senate confirmation vote on John O. Brennan as CIA director has been postponed for at least two weeks as lawmakers step up pressure on the Obama administration to provide more information about its drone campaign against terrorism suspects.

In particular, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that she is seeking seven Justice Department memos related to the administration’s targeted killing program, in addition to four the committee has been allowed to view.

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More News On The U.S. Senate Delaying The Vote On The Nomination Of John Brennan As CIA Director

Senate intelligence committee delays Brennan vote over drone memos, Benghazi attack -- Washington Post/AP
John Brennan Vote Delayed By Senators Over Drone Memos -- Huffington Post/Reuters
Rand Paul to place hold on Brennan nomination -- CNN
Aide: Reid won't honor hold against Brennan -- NBC

John Brennan's Confirmation Hearing For CIA Director -- News Roundup

Drone Policy, Harsh Interrogations Focus Of CIA Nominee Hearing -- New York Times

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's nominee for CIA director, John Brennan, said on Thursday he did not try to stop waterboarding, an interrogation technique that some consider torture, as he faced tough congressional questioning on that issue, security leaks and the use of drones to kill U.S. terrorism suspects.

Lawmakers grilled Brennan on controversial counterterrorism tactics used while he was a CIA official under former President George W. Bush and in his current role as counterterrorism adviser to Obama.

Brennan has previously said he objected to the harsh interrogation techniques while at CIA.

But appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee for his confirmation hearing, he acknowledged he did not attempt to stop the program, pointing out he was not in charge of it.

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More News On John Brennan's Confirmation Hearing For CIA Director

John Brennan, CIA nominee, says drone strikes 'last resort' – as it happened (Today's Recap) -- The Guardian
Recap: Brennan’s CIA Confirmation Hearing -- Wall Street Journal
Brennan defends al-Awlaki drone strike as part of war with al Qaeda -- CNN
Brennan Defends Counterterrorism Policies at Hearing -- New York Times
Brennan defends drone strike policies -- Washington Post
US Official Defends Drone Strikes After Leaked Memo -- Voice of America
Obama CIA pick John Brennan defends drone strikes, even on Americans -- New York Daily News/AP
CIA nominee Brennan defends drone strikes, says he doesn’t know if waterboarding is effective -- Washington Post/AP
Brennan: Drone strikes used only for major threats -- Stars and Stripes/AP
CIA nominee John Brennan defends drone strikes -- BBC
Brennan: Government Goes Through ‘Agony’ Before Launching Drone Strikes -- Danger Room
Brennan grilled over drones and torture -- Al Jazeera
CIA nominee: Obama administration has never killed terror suspects when they could be captured -- Washington Post
Brennan rejects CIA torture claims in confident display at Senate hearing -- The Guardian
Dodging ‘Torture,’ Brennan Calls Waterboarding ‘Reprehensible’ -- ABC News
Exclusive: U.N.’s Drone Investigator Backs Brennan for Top CIA Job -- Danger Room
Why CIA nominee Brennan came off better than Hagel in Senate hearing -- Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor

John Brennan Faces U.S. Senate Hearing Over CIA Nomination – Live

John Brennan has come under fire for his association with drones. Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Reuters

WNU Editor: John Brennan's hearing to be CIA Director will start between 14:00 - 14:30 EST. The Guardian will live blog the hearing here. You can watch it live here.

You can also watch it live here.

CIA Director Nominee John Brennan Prepares To Face Questions In His Senate Confirmation Hearing (Updated)

CIA Nominee To Face Questions On Interrogations, Drones And Leaks -- Reuters

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's nominee to head the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, is expected to face tough questioning about leaks of sensitive information and U.S. spy activities from waterboarding to the use of drones when he appears at a Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.

In a written submission posted on the Senate Intelligence Committee's website on Wednesday, Brennan acknowledged for the first time that he had given voluntary interviews in connection with investigations into leaks that are being conducted by federal prosecutors in Baltimore and Washington.

Brennan said the investigations related to cyber warfare against Iran and a foiled bomb plot tied to al Qaeda's Yemen-based affiliate. Brennan said his lawyer had been told by prosecutors that he was "only a witness" in both investigations.

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More News On The CIA Director Nominee John Brennan

Confirmation hearing for a new CIA director comes as Obama approves drone report for lawmakers -- Washington Post/AP
Senators, John Brennan brace for national security showdown in CIA hearing -- NBC
CIA director nominee Brennan likely to face Democrats' scrutiny at hearing -- CNN
As Neocons Defend Obama, Allies Doubt Him on Drones as Never Before -- The Atlantic
CIA Nominee Faces Questions on Drone Policy -- Voice of America
Obama's Pick For CIA Chief To Face Senate Scrutiny -- NPR
Brennan to face bipartisan scrutiny at confirmation hearing -- FOX News
Drones at the forefront of the Brennan hearing -- Jonny Dymond, BBC
Obama CIA Pick May Face Tough Questions on Drones -- Voice of America
Brennan Hearing Opens White House to Scrutiny on Drones -- Bloomberg Businessweek
CIA nominee John Brennan to face tough questions over U.S. drone policy (Photos) -- Examiner
US Drone Strikes Seen as Key to Vote on New CIA Chief -- Voice of America
White House silent over CIA drone reports as pressure builds on Brennan -- The Guardian
Brennan’s CIA Bid Chance to Strike Back at Critics -- Time/AP
Brennan Defends Use of Drones, Says Civilian Deaths Rare -- Bloomberg
Brennan says all drone strikes fully comply with the law -- USA Today
Brennan interviewed in leak probes -- Politico
CIA nominee Brennan was interviewed in leak probes -- Reuters
Brennan Says CIA Wouldn’t Again Use Enhanced Interrogation -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Obama's CIA pick Brennan, once stung by waterboarding, now opposes it -- FOX News/AP
New CIA chief John Brennan accused of 'cashing in' on connections -- The Telegraph
Brennan Could Be in for Rough Ride at Confirmation Hearing -- Roll Call
What Senators Should Ask CIA-Nominee John Brennan -- Robert Baer, Time
What's At Stake in John Brennan's Hearing to Lead the CIA -- Matt Vasilogambros, National Journal
Brennan and Obama's Drone Playbook Must Be Debated Publicly -- Dixon Osburn, US News and World Report
Brennan and the 'transformation' of the CIA -- Phillip Lohaus, The Hill
John Brennan: the drone apologist with the president's ear -- Chris McGreal, The Guardian
Brennan: A man and his drones -- David Axe, Reuters
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Who Is John Brennan? -- AllGov

Brennan's Nomination As CIA Director Opens Questions On A Secret U.S. Drone Base In Saudi Arabia

Brennan Nomination Exposes Criticism On Targeted Killings And Secret Saudi Base -- Washington Post

President Obama’s plan to install his counterterrorism adviser as director of the CIA has opened the administration to new scrutiny over the targeted-killing policies it has fought to keep hidden from the public, as well as the existence of a previously secret drone base in Saudi Arabia.

The administration’s refusal to provide details about one of the most controversial aspects of its drone campaign — strikes on U.S. citizens abroad — has emerged as a potential source of opposition to CIA nominee John O. Brennan, who faces a Senate confirmation hearing scheduled for Thursday.

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My Comment: I do not see many Republicans being critical of Brennan when he shows up for his nomination hearing this Thursday. If there will be opposition it will come from liberal Democrats .... but even then I do not see them bucking against President Obama's CIA choice. If there will be a concerted effort it will come from the liberal media .... starting on issues like this one. As for that secret drone base in Saudi Arabia .... I liked how the Post drops that story in this article.

On a side note .... the Washington Post has a cool graphic that tracks America's drone strikes. That link is here.

Who Is John Brennan? (Updated)

John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, talks with President Obama in the White House dining room, February, 2010. Photo: White House/Pete Souza

John Brennan, Obama's Drone Warrior -- Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst, and Jennifer Rowland, Special to CNN 

President Barack Obama has nominated his top counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, to be the next director of the CIA. 

If there is an emerging Obama doctrine to deal with the threat from al Qaeda and its allies, it is clearly a rejection of the use of conventional military forces and a growing reliance instead on the use of drones and U.S. Special Operations Forces -- and Brennan has been central to Obama's policy.

In an April 30 speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, Brennan laid out the rationale for the drone policy in more detail than any administration official had done publicly hitherto. He asserted that the drone strikes are legal both under the Authorization for Use of Military Force passed by Congress after the September 11 attacks and because, "There is nothing in international law that bans the use of remotely piloted aircraft for this purpose or that prohibits us from using lethal force against our enemies outside of an active battlefield, at least when the country involved consents or is unable or unwilling to take action against the threat."

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More News On CIA Nominee John Brennan

Brennan Critics Zero In on CIA's Interrogations -- Wall Street Journal
Future of the CIA drone war may rest on Brennan -- Jane C. Timm, MSNBC
Graham threatens to hold up CIA director confirmation -- CNN
Talk Of Delaying Brennan Nomination 'Unfortunate,' White House Says -- NPR
How John Brennan transformed counterterrorism policy -- Rachel Weiner, Washington Post
Wait, so John Brennan is soft on terror now? -- Joshua Keating, Foreign Policy
Muslim group concerned about Brennan -- Politico
CIA nominee John Brennan no stranger to spycraft, politics -- L.A. Times
If You Thought Obama’s Drone Godfather Was Powerful, Wait ‘Til He’s at the CIA -- Danger Room
Leaks! Torture! Drones! Obama’s CIA Pick Faces Skeptical Senators -- Danger Room
John Brennan's 2011 Claim About Civilian Drone Casualties Is Increasingly Inexplicable -- Michael Kelley, Business Insider
Brennan Needs to Correct the Record on Drones -- Daphne Eviatar, Huffington Post
That Brennan Pick -- Michael Walsh, NPR
Why the Left Should Embrace John Brennan -- Michael Cohen, Foreign Policy

My Comment: John Brennan has a long history in the CIA .... while he has made some mistakes I still do expect him to be approved by the Senate.

Who Is John Brennan?

 

John Brennan, Obama's Drone Warrior -- Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst, and Jennifer Rowland, Special to CNN 

President Barack Obama has nominated his top counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, to be the next director of the CIA. If there is an emerging Obama doctrine to deal with the threat from al Qaeda and its allies, it is clearly a rejection of the use of conventional military forces and a growing reliance instead on the use of drones and U.S. Special Operations Forces -- and Brennan has been central to Obama's policy. In an April 30 speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, Brennan laid out the rationale for the drone policy in more detail than any administration official had done publicly hitherto. He asserted that the drone strikes are legal both under the Authorization for Use of Military Force passed by Congress after the September 11 attacks and because, "There is nothing in international law that bans the use of remotely piloted aircraft for this purpose or that prohibits us from using lethal force against our enemies outside of an active battlefield, at least when the country involved consents or is unable or unwilling to take action against the threat."   Read more ....   My Comment: John Brennan has a long history in the CIA .... while he has made some mistakes I still do expect him to be approved by the Senate.

President Obama's National Security Nominations Will Face Some Senate Opposition

Chuck Hagel And John Brennan Nominations Set Up Showdown With GOP -- The Guardian

President's picks to lead Pentagon and CIA face opposition from lawmakers who disapprove of proposed national security team

President Barack Obama was finalising his second-term national security team on Monday with the nomination of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary and counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan as head of the CIA – and in the process opens a new front in his bitter fight with Republicans in Congress.

After losing a bruising battle to nominate Susan Rice as Hillary Clinton's replacement at the State Department, Obama will name Hagel –
a decorated war hero – as head of the Pentagon, despite vows of resistance from Republicans who accuse the former Nebraska senator of opposing measures to stop Iran obtaining a nuclear capability and of offering less than rock-solid support for Israel.

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My Comment: The Democrat controlled U.S. Senate is not going to deny President Obama his national security team. but the confirmation process is going to be interesting .... and I predict very informative on where U.S. national security policies are heading.

The Nomination Of John Brennan For CIA Director -- News Updates

The Answer Man: A Washington Power-Read On John Brennan. -- Foreign Policy

Unlike Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel, a known Washington commodity, White House counterterrorism advisor John O. Brennan, the new nominee to lead the CIA, is a less familiar figure. But as one of President Barack Obama's closest advisers, Brennan has unsurprisingly featured as an important role-player in many of the insider accounts written about the administration's national security policies. The portrait that emerges from the books on Obama's first term is one of a man intensely loyal to the president whose trust he enjoys, sometimes to the point of alienating his colleagues. Among the insights gleaned, the former Riyadh CIA station chief and fluent Arabic speaker is clearly one of the most knowledgeable and well-connected senior U.S. officials when it comes to the Middle East, but he has a habit of sometimes speaking publicly without all the facts. And he has also taken on the seemingly contradictory roles as one of the most outspoken champions of the U.S. drone program while pushing within the administration to limit the use of American force. Here's a look at what we know about Brennan so far, culled from seven of the best recent books on U.S. foreign policy:

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More News On The Nomination Of John Brennan For CIA Director

For CIA chief, Obama taps adviser who defended drone strikes -- Reuters
Brennan Chosen for CIA After Role in Bin Laden Operation -- Bloomberg
CIA nominee John Brennan no stranger to spycraft, politics -- L.A. Times
Sen. Cornyn threatens to block Brennan's nomination as CIA chief -- The Hill
Obama's CIA nominee to face tough questions about ‘enhanced interrogation’ -- The Hill
Graham seeks delay to confirmation of Brennan until Benghazi questions answered -- FOX News
Brennan pick revives leaks dispute -- Politico
With John Brennan, Obama doubles down on drone strikes -- Christian Science Monitor
John Brennan As CIA Chief Would Cement A New Era Of US Counterterrorism -- Michael Kelley and Geoffrey Ingersoll, Business Insider
Choice to Lead C.I.A. Faces a Changed Agency -- New York Times
Obama’s CIA pick chose spycraft over priesthood -- Army Times/AP
You Can Order Hundreds of Drone Strikes and Still Be Called ‘Wet Nurse’ of Terrorism -- Spencer Ackerman, Danger Room
If You Thought Obama’s Drone Godfather Was Powerful, Wait ‘Til He’s at the CIA -- Spencer Ackerman and Noah Shachtman, Danger Room

President Obama To Nominate John Brennan For CIA Director -- A News Roundup

Obama Nominates Mastermind Of Controversial Drone Strike Program As Next CIA Director -- Daily Mail

* John Brennan is behind programme that has carried out over 300 remote strikes against terrorist targets, killing some 2,500 people
* Drawn fire from Democrats for connection to 'torture' techniques such as waterboarding under Bush administration
* Also criticised for wrongly stating bin Laden was armed and had used his wife as a human shield in a briefing following the historic SEAL Team Six raid
* Nominated after David Petraeus quit following revelations of his clandestine affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell

The man who has masterminded the expansion of a drone programme that has carried out more than 300 remote strikes against terrorist targets, killing some 2,500 people, is to be nominated as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

John Brennan, 57, the current head of counter-terrorism, has also provoked ire on the Left because of his connection during the Bush administration, when he was a senior CIA officer, to 'Enhanced Interrogation Techniques' such as water-boarding, which many regard as torture.

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More News On President Obama Nominating John Brennan To Be The Next CIA Director

Obama Picks John Brennan as CIA Chief -- Daily Beast
Obama Taps John Brennan To Be Next CIA Director, White House Officials Say -- NBC
Obama to tap John Brennan to head CIA -- CBS/AP
US President to Nominate Brennan as CIA Chief -- Voice of America
Brennan: A counterterrorism expert set to lead CIA -- AFP
Official: Obama to tap Brennan as CIA director -- CNN
Counterterrorism Adviser Brennan To Be Tapped For CIA -- NPR
Obama To Nominate John Brennan To Lead CIA -- Slate
John Brennan tapped to lead CIA -- Politico
Obama Picks John Brennan for CIA Chief in National Security Double Feature -- New York Magazine
Obama expected to nominate John Brennan for director of CIA position -- Examiner
John Brennan, Obama terrorism advisor, to head CIA (WATCH LIVE) -- Global Post
Will C.I.A. Director Nominee John Brennan Still Love Hunting Terrorists if It’s All So Above Board Now? -- Juli Weiner, Vanity Fair
John Brennan as CIA Director: What It Means -- Micah Zenko, Council On Foreign Relations
John Brennan: Obama’s (Holy) Ghost Warrior -- Time
The Brennan Case -- Mark Halperin, Time
John Brennan's extremism and dishonesty rewarded with CIA Director nomination -- Glen Greenwald, The Guardian
Profile: John Brennan -- BBC
Biographical information for John Brennan -- FOX News/AP

Meet The Man Who Is Transforming U.S. Counterterrorism Policy

President Barack Obama is briefed on the situation in Libya by John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, in Chilmark, Mass., Aug. 26, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

A CIA Veteran Transforms U.S. Counterterrorism Policy -- Washington Post

In his windowless White House office, presidential counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan is compiling the rules for a war the Obama administration believes will far outlast its own time in office, whether that is just a few more months or four more years.

The “playbook,” as Brennan calls it, will lay out the administration’s evolving procedures for the targeted killings that have come to define its fight against al-Qaeda and its affiliates. It will cover the selection and approval of targets from the “disposition matrix,” the designation of who should pull the trigger when a killing is warranted, and the legal authorities the administration thinks sanction its actions in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and beyond.

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My Comment: He has not only transformed America's counterterrorism policy under President Obama, but there is a very good chance that it will still continue under a Romney administration if Mitt Romney should win the election.

A Look Into Counterterrorism Czar John Brennan's Responsibilities

John Brennan

In the Shadows With Counterterrorism Czar John Brennan, Obama's Secret Weapon -- Time Magazine

John Brennan's portfolio covers a hair-raising spectrum of horribles, including everything from cyberattacks to earthquakes and pandemics. But the top priority of the White House's top adviser on homeland security and counterterrorism is the continuing threat of radical Islamists who have mounted a series of attacks on the U.S. during President Barack Obama's tenure that came close to killing countless innocents.

The alarms — real and false — never stop going off. Brennan constantly gets alerts about suspicious airline passengers. "We had a couple this morning," says Brennan, sitting in his office on a January afternoon. "Is this just an inebriated passenger? You're trying to make sure that you understand the nature of the threat."

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My Comment: His job is one that I do not envy.

The U.S. 'War Against Terrorism' Is Entering A New Phase: John Brennan

(President Barack Obama meets with John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security, in the Oval Office, Jan. 4, 2010. Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Brennan: U.S. Faces A ‘New Phase’ Of Terrorism -- Washington Independent

Al-Qaeda and Others Have Adapted to Counterterrorism Measures.

“We will destroy al-Qaeda.”

That’s how John Brennan capped his presentation Wednesday morning on counterterrorism’s role in the forthcoming National Security Strategy, and the often intense White House senior counterterrorism adviser smiled a bit as he said it. His exploration of the administration’s pathway for getting there was mostly familiar. “A broad, sustained integrated campaign” making use of “every tool of American power: military, civilian, kinetic and diplomatic, and indeed, the power of our values and partnerships,” will sustain “pressure” on al-Qaeda in “Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and beyond” while addressing the “political, economic and social forces” that can create either demand for extremism among populations or acquiescence to it. Judge for yourself how that fits within the broader National Security Strategy.

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My Comment: It is interesting to read John Brennan's comments and defense of President Obama's policies in the 'war against terrorism'. They are thoughtful and focused on the difficulty of confronting a radical aspect of Islam, and on why places like Guantanamo Prison are still open.

But why I find this interesting is because in the 2008 Presidential campaign this thoughtful and focused looked at combating radical Islam was condemned and castigated by his boss .... President Obama .... Guantanamo Prison included.

The Growing Influence Of John Brennan In U.S. Intelligence

President Obama and John Brennan

Counterterror Adviser John Brennan: A Forceful Voice On Obama's Security Team -- Washington Post

When President Obama wanted an investigation into the intelligence failures that led to the attempted airline attack on Christmas Day, he turned to the man who has emerged as one of his most trusted advisers: John O. Brennan.

Within two weeks, Brennan had produced a sharply written report that caught other intelligence heads by surprise -- and caused an uproar in some quarters for its harsh assessment of intelligence agencies' performance. Moreover, Brennan showed the final draft to his colleagues just hours before it was to be made public, a move that his critics said was an example of his tendency to exert tight control.

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More News And Commentary On John Brennan

Counterterror Adviser Defends Jihad as 'Legitimate Tenet of Islam' -- FOX News
Where Are All Those Captured Terrorists, Mr. Brennan? -- The Atlantic
U.S. National Security Strategy Sets New Tone -- Radio Free Europe
John Brennan: US to ‘strengthen Hizbullah moderates’ -- Jerusalem Post
Brennan's Surrender -- Investors Business Daily editorial
President Obama's continuing role in helping to destroy Israel: Dejaization of Jerusalem -- Alertnet commentary
Ignoring al Qaeda’s ideology is a threat to US national security -- Walid Phares, Counter Terrorism Blog
Brennan Should Go -- Danielle Pletka, The American