WASHINGTON _ U.S. senators are clamoring to learn more about the role Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump's nominee for CIA director, played in the torture of terrorism suspects after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
But the CIA isn't ready to talk publicly about that yet, instead releasing on Tuesday a description of how Haspel helped guide the country's foreign espionage efforts since she was named deputy director in February 2017.
Before she rose to the CIA's No. 2 job, Haspel spent more than three decades as an undercover operative, working overseas and at agency headquarters in Langley, Va.
As deputy director, Haspel pushed more resources to intelligence officers working abroad and increased partnerships with other spy services, the agency said.
She also emphasized foreign language expertise so "officers know the languages, dialects, and cultures of priority targets and liaison partners," according to the agency.
Haspel has said her love of learning foreign languages drew her to intelligence work.
It's unclear if the details will influence senators considering Haspel's nomination since it doesn't delve into the more controversial aspects of her background, such as when she ran a then-secret CIA prison in Thailand in 2002.
The date for her confirmation hearing hasn't been set.
