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Open Hearing: Nomination of Gina Haspel to Be the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

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Open Hearing: Nomination of Gina Haspel to Be the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency S. HRG. 115–302 OPEN HEARING: NOMINATION OF GINA HASPEL TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HEARING BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018 Printed for the use of the Select Committee on Intelligence ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 30–119 PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:25 Aug 20, 2018 Jkt 030925 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 C:\DOCS\30119.TXT SHAUN LAP51NQ082 with DISTILLER SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE [Established by S. Res. 400, 94th Cong., 2d Sess.] RICHARD BURR, North Carolina, Chairman MARK R. WARNER, Virginia, Vice Chairman JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California MARCO RUBIO, Florida RON WYDEN, Oregon SUSAN COLLINS, Maine MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico ROY BLUNT, Missouri ANGUS KING, Maine JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia TOM COTTON, Arkansas KAMALA HARRIS, California JOHN CORNYN, Texas MITCH MCCONNELL, Kentucky, Ex Officio CHUCK SCHUMER, New York, Ex Officio JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona, Ex Officio JACK REED, Rhode Island, Ex Officio CHRIS JOYNER, Staff Director MICHAEL CASEY, Minority Staff Director KELSEY STROUD BAILEY, Chief Clerk (II) VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:25 Aug 20, 2018 Jkt 030925 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\30119.TXT SHAUN LAP51NQ082 with DISTILLER CONTENTS MAY 9, 2018 OPENING STATEMENTS Burr, Hon. Richard, Chairman, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina ................ 1 Warner, Mark R., Vice Chairman, a U.S. Senator from Virginia ........................ 3 WITNESSES Chambliss, Saxby, former U.S. Senator from Georgia ......................................... 5 Bayh, Evan, former U.S. Senator from Indiana .................................................... 7 Haspel, Gina, nominated to be Director of Central Intelligence ......................... 9 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 14 SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL Questionnaire for Completion by Presidential Nominees .................................... 50 Additional Prehearing Questions ........................................................................... 63 Questions for the Record ......................................................................................... 128 Disciplinary Review Related to Destruction of Interrogation Tapes Memo (the Morell Memo) ................................................................................................ 204 Former CIA Officers ................................................................................................ 212 Former Senior National Security Officials ............................................................ 216 Former Ambassadors ............................................................................................... 221 Retired General and Flag Officers ......................................................................... 228 Human Rights Watch .............................................................................................. 232 The Center for Victims of Torture .......................................................................... 236 National Council of Churches ................................................................................. 237 NC Stop Torture Now .............................................................................................. 239 T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights ....................................................... 240 Laura Pitter Op-Ed, Senior National Security Counsel, Human Rights Watch 249 Steven Cash ............................................................................................................. 252 National Catholic Advocacy Organizations ........................................................... 257 September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows ............................................... 259 Human Rights Coalition ......................................................................................... 260 (III) VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:25 Aug 20, 2018 Jkt 030925 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\30119.TXT SHAUN LAP51NQ082 with DISTILLER VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:25 Aug 20, 2018 Jkt 030925 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\30119.TXT SHAUN LAP51NQ082 with DISTILLER OPEN HEARING: NOMINATION OF GINA HASPEL TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018 U.S. SENATE, SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:38 a.m. in Room SH–219, Hart Senate Office Building, Hon. Richard Burr (Chair- man of the Committee) presiding. Present: Senators Burr, Warner, Risch, Rubio, Collins, Blunt, Lankford, Cotton, Cornyn, Feinstein, Wyden, Heinrich, King, Manchin, Harris, and Reed. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BURR, CHAIRMAN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM NORTH CAROLINA Chairman BURR. I’d like to call this hearing to order. I’d like to say at the beginning of this hearing it is the tradition of this com- mittee to have nominees in front of us in open and closed session. It’s also incumbent on those who attend in the audience that they recognize the order that we expect. The Chair would announce now, I will not be lenient. If there are outbursts, you will be cleared from the room and it will be done immediately. So for the benefit of members and for the benefit of our witnesses, if you’re going to do it, do it fast, do it early, and be gone. I’d like to welcome our witness today, Acting Director of the Cen- tral Intelligence Agency, Ms. Gina Haspel. Gina, congratulations on your nomination. Our goal in conducting this hearing is to enable the committee to begin consideration of Ms. Haspel’s qualifications and to allow for thoughtful deliberation by all members. She’s already provided substantive written responses to more than 100 questions pre- sented by the committee and its members. Today, of course, mem- bers will be able to ask additional questions and to hear from Ms. Haspel in open and closed session. Gina, you’ve been asked to lead what I believe is one of our most treasured assets in this Nation during a period of profound change. The Central Intelligence Agency is one of the principal members of the United States intelligence community and is tasked with col- lecting foreign intelligence through human sources and by appro- priate other means. The CIA operates in the shadows. Its officers are often under- cover and sometimes work in hostile and austere environments. It’s (1) VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:25 Aug 20, 2018 Jkt 030925 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\DOCS\30119.TXT SHAUN LAP51NQ082 with DISTILLER 2 not simply a job for many, but it’s a lifestyle, one that you have lived honorably for more than 30 years. The clandestine nature of the Agency’s work, however, is both its greatest capability and its most challenging liability, as its activi- ties are outside the public view. We address that liability by calling upon the President to nominate individuals with unwavering integ- rity, and the Senate approves only those who we are assured will lead this organization lawfully, ethically, and morally. Gina Haspel was born in Kentucky, the oldest of five children, where she returned after attending high school in England. She originally told her father, who served in the United States Air Force, that she wanted to attend West Point, only to be gently re- minded that West Point at the time did not admit women. That didn’t dilute her sense of service and, after graduating from the University of Kentucky, Gina went on to work as a contractor with the Tenth Special Forces Group. It was in Fort Devon that Gina learned about the CIA, a place where she could serve along with other women doing clandestine work around the world. Since her departure in 1985, Gina has developed an extensive overseas experience and served as chief of station in many loca- tions. In Washington, she’s held numerous senior leadership posi- tions, including Deputy Director, Deputy Director of National Clan- destine Service. Gina, I’ve reviewed the material provided by you and have spo- ken to you personally many times. I believe your intellectual rigor, your honorable service, and outstanding judgment make you a nat- ural fit to lead the CIA. I can assure you that this committee will continue to faithfully follow its charter and conduct vigorous and real-time oversight over CIA’s operations and activities. We will ask difficult and probing questions of you and your staff, and we will expect honest, com- plete, and timely responses. The American people allow the CIA to operate in the shadows because they have a trust in oversight and I take that responsibility seriously. Now, some may seek to turn this nomination into a trial about a long-shuttered program. I’d like to set the record straight and make clear to those in attendance and the American people that this hearing’s about—this hearing’s not about programs already ad- dressed by executive order, legislation, and a court of law. It’s about the woman seated in front of us. Gina, I’ve reviewed your records closely. I’ve read your detailed and thoughtful answers to the committee’s prehearing questions, and I’ve spoken with you many times over the years. You are with- out a doubt the most qualified person the President could have cho- sen to lead the CIA and the most prepared nominee in its 70-year history. You have acted morally, ethically, and legally over a distin-
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