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Senate committee approves Brennan as CIA director

By Mike Mount, CNN
updated 3:53 PM EST, Tue March 5, 2013
The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday approved the nomination of John Brennan as CIA director.
The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday approved the nomination of John Brennan as CIA director.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Intelligence Committee votes 12 to 3 to back John Brennan as spy chief
  • Full Senate must now consider the nomination
  • Senators have questioned Brennan over interrogation, drone programs

Washington (CNN) -- The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday approved the nomination of John Brennan as CIA director, sending the matter to the full Senate for consideration.

The vote was 12 to 3.

Brennan has been President Barack Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser.

In hearings before the intelligence panel weeks ago, Democrats grilled Brennan about his knowledge of the CIA's controversial interrogation and detention program as well as the lethal targeting of suspected terrorists with drones.

The vote occurred after the White House agreed to provide the committee with documents outlining its legal rationale for the drone program when targeting Americans overseas in counter-terrorism operations.

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