CIA Director nominee Gina Haspel leaves after testifying during her Senate Select Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, USA, 09 May 2018. Haspel, if confirmed, will be the first female director of the CIA, but will face tough questioning about her role supervising a CIA black site and the use of enhanced interrogation. EPA-EFE/TASOS KATOPODIS 
Washington, United States | AFP | Thursday 5/17/2018 - 22:51 UTC+3 | 108 words
The US Senate on Thursday confirmed Gina Haspel as the next CIA director, despite deep reservations among some lawmakers that her past involvement in the harsh interrogation of terror suspects was a red flag.
President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency passed with a handful of opposition Democrats bucking their party and supporting the controversial Haspel's nomination, while others warned the vote would signal the nation's position on torture.
The 61-year-old Haspel, a Russia specialist who spent her career in the clandestine service, becomes the first woman to lead the agency, taking over from Mike Pompeo, whom Trump recently made his secretary of state.
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