Choice For The CIA: Spy Chief

ELIZABETH VARGAS (ABC NEWS) (Off-camera) Good evening. We begin with the battle over the future of the CIA. Today, President Bush nominated General Michael Hayden to be the nation's next spy chief. Even before the official announcement there was opposition from both political parties. Hayden's experience is both an asset, as well as a liability. In addition to his decades of military intelligence work, Hayden oversaw the controversial domestic surveillance program that allows the government to eavesdrop on Americans without obtaining a warrant. The debate over Hayden's appointment is part of a larger discussion about the CIA's role after 9/11. Here's ABC's chief White House correspondent, Martha Raddatz.

MARTHA RADDATZ (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) White house officials say they were surprised by the opposition when General Hayden's name was leaked. But today, the President said he was determined to send Hayden to the CIA.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH (UNITED STATES)

I call on the Senate to confirm him promptly as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

GENERAL MICHAEL HAYDEN (DEPUTY DIRECTOR NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE)

I look forward to meeting with the leaders of the Congress, better understanding their concerns and working with them to move the American intelligence community forward.

MARTHA RADDATZ (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) This is a critical time for the agency. With morale low and two recent major failures 9/11 and the faulty intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

TIM ROEMER (9/11 COMMISSIONER)

The CIA is in considerable trouble. They're demoralized. They are distracted. And they are disrespected.

MARTHA RADDATZ (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) The top priorities now, gathering intelligence on al Qaeda to prevent new attacks and improving human intelligence, namely spies, in places like Iran and North Korea. Is General Hayden the man to do it? There are three major concerns that have been raised. First, he is a military officer, which causes some to question his independence from the Pentagon.

REPRESENTATIVE DENNIS HASTERT (SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE)

Let the military take care of the military intelligence. I don't think that needs to be overwhelmingly - have their hands in what we do in civilian intelligence.

MARTHA RADDATZ (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) John Negroponte, the director of the national intelligence office, which oversees all intelligence gathering, said today, the uniform will not make a difference.

JOHN NEGROPONTE (DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE)

He's really capable of staking out independent positions. I think there's a lot of unfounded concern there.

MARTHA RADDATZ (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) Another criticism, Michael Hayden was in charge of the controversial domestic spying program when he was director of the National Security Agency.

US OFFICIAL (MALE)

This is targeted. This is focused. This is about al Qaeda.

SENATOR RUSS FEINGOLD (DEMOCRAT

He has stood with the President, others, in claiming that somehow the President has inherent authority to do this.

MARTHA RADDATZ (ABC NEWS)

(Voiceover) Finally, while Hayden has 20 years experience in intelligence-gathering, it has largely been by technical means, through satellites or eavesdropping. That is very different from the human intelligence that is the CIA's primary focus.

MARTHA RADDATZ (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) What the White House is now banking on is that the CIA will run more effectively under Michael Hayden because he - understands the chain of command. In the post-9/11 world, the CIA director reports to the national director of intelligence. That's john Negroponte. And Michael Hayden has been working as his deputy, Elizabeth, for the last year.

ELIZABETH VARGAS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) Martha, there's been a lot of talk about the low morale at the CIA, in the recent 18 months. How might this appointment with General Hayden affect that?

MARTHA RADDATZ (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) Well, apparently General Hayden would take with him a man named Steven Kappas. Kappas was a very popular CIA official under Porter Goss. He left when Porter Goss came, in disgust. He's very popular. He's going back. That should raise morale.

ELIZABETH VARGAS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) All right, Martha. Thank you.

ELIZABETH VARGAS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) ABC's chief Washington correspondent, George Stephanopoulos, joins us now. And George, basically, how serious is this opposition for members of Congress?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) It's calming down right now, Elizabeth. As General Hayden started to make his phone calls and make the rounds up here on Capitol Hill, some of the questions that were raised over the weekend started to subside. Senator Pat Roberts, the chairman of the intelligence committee, for example, sounded supportive today. Yesterday, Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California was on "This Week," saying she had serious questions. Today, she said she thinks that Hayden is probably the best person for the job. So, bottom line, unless the hearings reveal dramatically new information, I think he'll get confirmed.

ELIZABETH VARGAS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) Some members of Congress see this as an opportunity to ask questions on the domestic spying program, not necessarily to vote against General Hayden.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) Exactly right. They want that debate. Especially Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, who's tried to censure the President over that. The difficulty there is getting that debate in public. This program is so highly-classified, it's going to be hard to have a sustained debate.

ELIZABETH VARGAS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) All right, George Stephanopoulos, on Capitol Hill. Thank you.

GRAPHICS: LETTER FROM IRAN

ELIZABETH VARGAS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) One of the CIA's top priorities is assessing Iran's nuclear capabilities. Today, Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent President Bush a 17-page letter, the first direct communication from Iran in 27 years. An Iranian spokesman says it proposes new solutions for getting out of problems. Tonight, the White House dismissed the letter, saying it failed to address international concerns about Iran's nuclear program.

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