Rumors in Washington have it that Gen.
David Petraeus, commander of the allied coalition in Afghanistan, will soon take over as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Senior members of Congress in both parties reacted to the idea with a big thumbs-up in interviews with
The Hill.
The talk is that current CIA Director Leon Panetta will replace Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is stepping down this summer. That would leave the CIA spot open for Petraeus.
“I think, obviously, Gen. Petraeus is highly qualified,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “I think Gen. Petraeus is qualified for any job that has anything to do with national security.” House Appropriations Committee ranking member Norm Dicks, D-Wash., agrees. “Anything Petraeus does, he’ll do a good job at.”
Support for Panetta as Defense secretary isn’t as strong. “I don’t know of any experience he’s had that has qualified him for that,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
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