Gina Haspel, the newly appointed first-ever female director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is a career intelligence officer with more than 30 years experience.
Controversially, she ran a prison in Thailand where suspected al-Qaeda members were tortured by waterboarding in 2002.
The so-called black sites – secret overseas locations where the CIA carried out what it termed “enhanced interrogation” techniques – were closed by then US President Barack Obama.
However, President Donald Trump has since spoken out in favour of the harsh interrogation of suspects.
Ms Haspel’s appointment last year as deputy director of the CIA caused controversy.
Christopher Anders, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington office, told the New York Times he was “gravely concerned” about the appointment.
At the time, then CIA director Mike Pompeo described her as “an exemplary intelligence officer” with an “uncanny ability to get things done and to inspire those around her”.
She was handed the top job when President Trump picked Mr Pompeo as Secretary of State to replace Rex Tillerson.
In a statement, she said: “I am grateful to President Trump for the opportunity, and humbled by his confidence in me, to be nominated to be the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. If confirmed, I look forward to providing President Trump the outstanding intelligence support he has grown to expect during his first year in office.”
A return to dark practices?
Analysis by Tara McKelvey, BBC News, Washington
The White House shakeup has profound implications – and particularly for the CIA. The agency’s work is conducted with nominal oversight, and many decisions hinge on the discretion of the director. This morning the president spoke approvingly of the acting director, Gina Haspel, pointing out that she’s a woman in a high leadership position.
As an intelligence officer, she was known for her harsh views: she ran a notorious black site in Thailand, a place where prisoners were waterboarded. She’s now working for a president who’s been ambivalent about the matter. He said in the past he wanted to bring back waterboarding. James Mattis, the defence secretary, convinced him otherwise.
The president could change his mind again – if Ms Haspel and other intelligence officials said they believed it was necessary. In this way the US could return to its dark practices of black sites and brutal interrogations.
This story is from The BBC News. To read the full story, please go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43390208.