, Columnist
Avril Haines, the Right Woman to Clean Up the CIA
President Barack Obama has replaced the No. 2 man at the Central Intelligence Agency -- a tough-minded counterterrorist -- with a lawyerly woman who wants to dial back the lethal and illegal operations of American intelligence.
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President Barack Obama hasreplaced the No. 2 man at the Central Intelligence Agency -- a tough-minded counterterrorist -- with a lawyerly woman who wants to dial back the lethal and illegal operations of American intelligence.
The CIA, far richer and stronger since Sept. 11, has given priority to hunting and killing terrorists. But killing is the job of the military, not the nation's premier spy service. Obama says he wants to use it first and foremost as an espionage agency, not a lethal force. After 25 years as a spy-watcher, I believe this is a very good thing, and a long time coming.