Obama to pick chief intelligence officials

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will name former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to head the Central Investigation Agency (CIA), said media reports on Monday.

According to reports from CNN, MSNBC and the New York Times, the 70-year-old White House veteran is to be named as the CIA director, a key player in the country's anti-terrorism and intelligence efforts.

Citing Democratic officials, the media reported that Obama is also to pick retired Adm. Dennis Blair for National Intelligence Director.

Born in an Italian family in California, Panetta was an activist of student politics. With a bachelor's degree in political science and Juris doctor, he joined the army in 1964.

He was elected as the congressman for California in 1976 and maintained his seat in the House till 1993. Starting 1994, he served as the chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.

However, Obama's choice for the CIA is considered a surprise since Panetta had no experience in the intelligence community, except that he was a member of the Iraq Study Group in 2006, a bipartisan panel that made recommendations to President George W. Bush's administration on the Iraq war.

In contrast with Panetta, Blair, the former head of U.S. Pacific Command, would be named to the post with little surprise.

Blair served in the Navy for 34 years and served as chief of the U.S. Pacific Command during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He was also an expert on China, and worked on cooperation between the military and the CIA.

It is the latest move of Obama's transitional office to complete the new government that is set to take office on Jan. 20.

美国民主党消息人士５日说，当选总统奥巴马已确定提名前美军太平洋司令部司令丹尼斯·布莱尔为新任国家情报总监人选，并将提名前白宫办公厅主任里昂·帕内塔为新任中央情报局局长人选。

如果这两项提名获得参议院批准，布莱尔和帕内塔将分别接替现任国家情报总监麦康奈尔和中央情报局局长海登。  

美国政界人士对这两项提名表示欢迎。前众议院情报委员会主席汉密尔顿说，这两个人都具有丰富的管理经验，将能帮助改善美国情报机构的声誉，提高情报机构的办事效率。

布莱尔现年６２岁，曾在美国海军服役３４年，２００２年退役。他曾任中央情报局助理局长和美军太平洋司令部司令。帕内塔现年７０岁，父母是意大利移民。１９７６年至１９９２年任国会众议员，１９９４年至１９９６年任克林顿政府白宫办公厅主任。