WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed retired Adm. Dennis Blair as the new national intelligence director.
Blair will be President Barack Obama’s top intelligence adviser, overseeing a budget of nearly $50 billion across 16 intelligence agencies.
The Senate confirmed Blair by voice vote.
Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, praised Blair’s commitment to U.S. ideals while conducting intelligence operations. Blair strongly condemned torture and warrantless wiretapping at his Jan. 22 confirmation hearing.
Blair will oversee the end of the CIA’s harsh interrogation program, authorized by then- President George W. Bush shortly after the 9/11 attacks.
Obama is limiting the CIA, for now, to the U.S. military’s interrogation methods. He is also helping to plan for the closure of the detention center at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Blair served in the Navy for 34 years. He was chief of the U.S. Pacific Command during 9/11 and crafted what many intelligence and military officials say was an effective international counterterrorism strategy in southeast Asia.
