President Donald Trump has chosen Gina Haspel to be the CIA's deputy director, the first female career CIA officer to serve in that role. | AP Photo Trump taps former 'black site' prison operator for CIA deputy Gina Haspel previously oversaw a 'black site' prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects reportedly faced harsh interrogation tactics — including waterboarding.

President Donald Trump has chosen veteran CIA officer Gina Haspel to serve as the agency’s deputy director, a decision that alarmed some lawmakers apparently worried about the new president’s stance on torture.

Haspel, who joined the agency in 1985, will be the first female career CIA officer to serve as deputy director. Her experience includes having overseen a “black site” prison in Thailand where terrorism suspects faced harsh interrogation tactics such as waterboarding, according to multiple media reports.


It’s not clear if Haspel’s elevation is a sign that the CIA will return to using such methods. But Trump has repeatedly voiced support for waterboarding and other tough measures, even though many in the intelligence world are deeply uncomfortable with resuming such methods, and leading lawmakers, such as Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, have warned the president to avoid them.

In announcing her new role, CIA Director Mike Pompeo called Haspel an “exemplary intelligence officer” with “an uncanny ability to get things done.” “We are fortunate that someone of her intellect, skill, and experience will be our deputy director,” Pompeo said in a written statement.

The No. 2 CIA job does not require Senate confirmation. But some senators expressed wariness about whether Haspel would adhere to unspecified laws, by which they likely meant statutes banning torture. [Much of the CIA's post Sept. 11, 2001, work remains classified, limiting the lawmakers' ability to directly state concerns about individual agency officials.]

Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), said they had written a classified letter to Trump expressing their concerns about Haspel, a letter whose contents they urged the president to immediately de-classify.

"Her background makes her unsuitable for the position," the senators wrote in an unclassified letter also sent to the president and dated Thursday.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, a Democrat and vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, expressed similar, vaguely worded concerns.

"I want some reassurance from her that she intends to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law," he said. "I plan to meet with her as soon as possible to secure that commitment from her."

Still, Haspel’s promotion gained praise from several top people in the intelligence world, including some who have spoken out against Trump.

“I found her to be simply exceptional,” said Mike Morell, a former CIA acting director and prominent Trump critic. “She provides advice based on facts and analysis of facts. She gets things done in a quiet, yet effective way, and she is calm under fire.”

Haspel has held several top positions at the CIA, including deputy director of the National Clandestine Service. Her awards include the Presidential Rank Award, a coveted award for the federal civil service.