Will John Brennans Senate Confirmation Hearing Expose the Ugly New Face of American Power

February 7 will be a big day for John Brennan. Thats when Obamas nominee for director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) will appear before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Brennan has had a 25-year career with the CIA and speaks Arabic fluently. He served as deputy executive director in 2001. He is currently chief counterterrorism advisor to President Obama. Obama intended to appoint Brennan as director of the CIA in 2008. Brennan, however, withdrew his name from consideration because of accusations of support for torture/enhanced interrogation, extraordinary rendition to other countries where torture is commonplace and federal and international laws do not apply, and black sites, CIAs secret prisons. At the time, Brennan said, It has been immaterial to the critics that I have been a strong opponent of many of the policies of the Bush administration such as the pre-emptive war in Iraq and coercive interrogation tactics, to include waterboarding. The fact that I was not involved in the decision-making process for any of these controversial policies and actions has been ignored." This time, the Senate committee will explore those same issues. They will explore, despite his public statement, his role and the extent to which he was involved in the development of the Bush era torture policies. As deputy executive director of the CIA, he was in a position to know about extraordinary rendition, black sites, and the methods used in enhanced interrogation. There is a big difference, however, between having knowledge and the clout to change policy. But in Brennans current role as Obamas counterterrorism advisor, he has led the U.S. shadow wars and drone policy, a highly controversial program that includes a kill list that surely the Senate committee will address. Brennan most likely will defend that policy in the same way he defended it in a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center in April of last year.

The intelligence committee will also pose some tough questions concerning Brennans involvement in National Security leaks. So far, criticism of Brennans nomination has been subdued. No doubt that will change as the hearing gets under way. Most pundits say that Brennans confirmation is highly probable. We can only hope that without compromising national security that the hearing will expose and provide insight into the ugly new face of American power, and ignite debate over the morality, transparency, sovereignty, and other important issues surrounding Obamas Overseas Contingency Operations, a phrase he prefers using to Global War on Terror.