President Barack Obama

Leon Edward Panetta was nominated by President –elect Obama to be the head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The decision by Barack Obama to pick Panetta to head the CIA aroused some controversy, as Leon Panetta has had no previous intelligence experience. However, he has had extensive government experience, especially in Washing D.C., and served as chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.

Obama made two other choices for his national security team and intelligence team. Retired Admiral Dennis Blair

will serve as head of National Intelligence. Barack Obama praised both Panetta and Blair in strong terms. Obama told the media, “they are public servants with unquestioned integrity, broad experience,” adding that these men were “the right leaders to advance the work of our intelligence community.”  

John Brennan, who was former acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will be Barack Obama’s White House adviser on counterterrorism.