QAEDA ATTACKS ON US SOIL. HAYDEN'S CONFIRMATION WAS EXPECTED TO BE A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE IN THE SENATE OVER THE PROGRAMME AND CONCERNS THAT A MEMBER OF THE MILITARY WOULD HEAD THE CIA, WHICH IS USUALLY LEAD BY A CIVILIAN. IF CONFIRMED, HAYDEN, AN AIR FORCE GENERAL, WOULD BE TAKING OVER A CIA EMBATTLED OVER INTELLIGENCE FAILURES IN CONNECTION TO THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, TERRORIST ATTACKS AND FAULTY CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ. HAYDEN TOLD THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE PANEL THAT HE WOULD NOT ALLOW THE CIA TO BECOME POLITICIZED. "THE INTELLIGENCE BUSINESS HAS TOO MUCH BECOME THE FOOTBALL IN AMERICAN POLITICAL DISCOURSE," HE SAID. HAYDEN SAID THE CIA AND US INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY "HAVE TAKEN AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF HITS. "WHILE SOME OF THE CRITICISM WAS JUSTIFIED, HAYDEN SAID THE CIA HAS ALSO HAD "MANY GREAT SUCCESSES." HAYDEN, WHOM BUSH PICKED TO SUCCEED PORTER GOSS, SAID INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS DO NOT DESERVE "TO HAVE EVERY ACTION ANALYZED, SECOND- GUESSED, AND CRITICIZED ON THE FRONT PAGES OF THE NEWSPAPERS." HE ADDED THAT "TRUE ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT SERVED BY INACCURATE, HARMFUL, AND ILLEGAL PUBLIC DISCLOSURES." THE NOMINEE WAS REITERATING STATEMENTS BUSH HAS MADE WITH REGARD TO LEAKS. GOSS UNEXPECTEDLY RESIGNED ON MAY 5 AFTER APPARENTLY LOSING A BUREAUCRATIC BATTLE WITH NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE CZAR JOHN NEGROPONTE.
