Reyes statement on President-elect Obama's intelligence leaders
1/9/2009
Washington, D.C.
News
REYES STATEMENT ON THE NOMINATION OF RETIRED ADMIRAL DENNIS BLAIR, LEON PANETTA, AND JOHN BRENNAN
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 9) - House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman, Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), today released the following statement on President-elect Obama's nomination of Admiral Dennis Blair as the Director of National Intelligence; Mr. Leon Panetta as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; and Mr. John Brennan as Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor for Counterterrorism:
"I applaud President-elect Obama for nominating three distinguished public servants to lead America's Intelligence Community. Admiral Dennis Blair, Leon Panetta, and John Brennan have all served our country with honor, and I am pleased they have accepted the call to serve once more.
"With a career spanning 34-years in the U.S. Navy, Admiral Dennis Blair brings a wealth of experience to the Intelligence Community during a critical time in our nation's history. As the former Associate Director of the CIA for Military Support and a former member of the National Security Council staff, Admiral Blair has a deep understanding of the national security threats that confront our country in the years ahead. He is an ideal leader for the Intelligence Community, as our nation navigates a complex set of challenges, threats, and opportunities.
"In my capacity as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have had the pleasure of interacting with Admiral Blair when he served as Commander of United States Pacific Command. As a commander with an area of responsibility that covers over 50 percent of the world's surface area and includes nearly 60 percent of the world's population, Admiral Blair has already demonstrated his unique ability to integrate and merge the capabilities of diverse constituencies. I expect that his leadership skills will lend themselves to moving our nation's intelligence agencies forward, toward a more unified and focused Intelligence Community. I look forward to working with him to lead the Intelligence Community into a new era.
"As I stated previously, Leon Panetta has dedicated his life to public service, and will bring strong leadership to the Central Intelligence Agency. He has been a long-time consumer of intelligence as a Member of Congress, as the White House Chief of Staff, and as a member of the Iraq Study Group. Enhanced by his legislative experience in the House, he will be a valued advisor to President-elect Obama and his national security team, particularly as the Congress works to enact legislation that continues to strengthen and reform the Intelligence Community to keep America safe.
"In addition, I am pleased to see that John Brennan will assist the administration in guiding its counterterrorism efforts. His long experience at the CIA, including his service as the Deputy Executive Director and as the country's first Director of what is now the National Counterterrorism Center, will serve him well in this vital role at the White House. He is an outstanding choice to take on this important position of advising the President on issues critical to the protection of our nation.
"I look forward to working with all three leaders to provide the professionals of the Intelligence Community with the tools and resources necessary to keep America safe."
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Vincent M. Perez
202-225-4831
vincent.perez@mail.house.gov
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