Bush Names Rightwing Republican As Cia Chief

President George Bush turned yesterday to a Republican congressman with intelligence expertise to lead the CIA through an era of change following the September 11 terror attacks.

If approved by the Senate, Porter Goss, 65, a former CIA operative and leader of the House intelligence committee, will be responsible for restructuring the CIA after failures of intelligence on the September 11 attacks and the Iraq war.

He replaces George Tenet, a holdover from the Clinton era who stepped down last month amid scathing criticism of CIA intelligence on the 9/11 attacks, and on Saddam Hussein's weapons arsenal.

"He knows the CIA inside and out. He is the right man to lead this important agency at this critical moment in our nation's history," Mr Bush said in making the announcement at the White House Rose Garden.

An eight-term congressman from Florida, Mr Goss's experience was not challenged yesterday. He has run the intelligence committee since 1997, and spent 10 years as a case officer in the CIA at the height of the Cold War.

But Democrats and some members of the intelligence community yesterday said Mr Goss was too partisan for the job, and would be unable to maintain a critical distance from the White House and his former employer.

Admiral Stansfield Turner, who headed the CIA under President Jimmy Carter, said that Mr Goss got the nod as an election ploy to help Mr Bush win votes in Florida. Admiral Turner, who has endorsed the Democratic challenger, John Kerry, told the Associated Press: "This is the worst appointment that's ever been made to the office of director of central intelligence."

Mr Kerry was more circumspect, calling for speedy and bipartisan confirmation hearings for Mr Goss. In a statement he said: "The most important thing we can do right now is reform and strengthen our intelligence services as the 9/11 commission has recommended."

But while Democrats do not want to risk being seen as blocking a key appointment in the war on terror during an election year, there were early signs that Mr Bush could face a confirmation battle over Mr Goss.

Jay Rockefeller, the senior Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said in a statement: "I still believe that the selection of a politician - any politician, from either party - is a mistake."

He added: "Porter Goss will need to answer tough questions about his record and his position on reform, including questions on the independence of the leader of the intelligence community."

Mr Goss acknowledged those doubts, saying: "I think every American knows the importance of getting the best possible intelligence we can get to our decision-makers."

To some extent, the questions over Mr Goss's nomination have been superseded by a wider debate on reform.

As CIA chief, Mr Goss will advise the president on plans for an overhaul of the intelligence services, put forward last month by the 9/11 commission.

One of the commission's key proposals could affect Mr Goss directly. The commission called for the establishment of a national intelligence director, who would coordinate the CIA and 14 other agencies.

While he opposes the more far-reaching of their reforms, Mr Bush bowed to the commission last week when he named a national intelligence director. But the commission said Mr Bush downgraded the job by withholding budgetary authority.

Those changes are bound to surface at any confirmation proceedings, and Democrats indicated yesterday that his future could be held hostage to Mr Bush's willingness to implement in full the commission's recommendations.

Charles Schumer, a Democratic senator from New York, told CNN yesterday: "I would find it very hard to support any nominee who did not endorse the 9/11 commission recommendations on intelligence. The focal point of this nomination is not who he is, but these recommendations."