Politics

Updated March 04, 2009

Lawmaker Calls on Obama to Withdraw Intel Pick

by Wall Street Journal 

, FOXNews.com

The ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee called on the Obama administration to withdraw its pick for the top intelligence analyst post.

The ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee called on the Obama administration to withdraw its pick for the top intelligence analyst post, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Charles Freeman, a veteran diplomat and former senior Pentagon official, is expected to assume his new job as chairman of the National Intelligence Council in the coming weeks.

He has stirred controversy with several statements, including one in which he said the Chinese government acted too slowly to crack down on protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Mr. Freeman has also criticized American policies supporting Israel.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R., Mich.) said in an interview, "I hope that this is one that's withdrawn."

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair is aware of congressional concerns, said his spokeswoman, Wendy Morigi. She praised Mr. Freeman for his "ability to draw upon his intellectual strength and operational experience to lay out insightful, understandable assessments of complex problems."

Ms. Morigi said the post is "one of analysis, not policy." Mr. Freeman will be an honest broker and focus on "our national interest, not that of the various countries and cultures he understands," she said. Mr. Freeman wasn't available for comment, she said.

Continue reading at the Wall Street Journal

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