The drone war is widely reported in the media but officially unacknowledged by the CIA and the White House. Many details remain obscure, but the United
The drone war is widely reported in the media but officially unacknowledged by the CIA and the White House. Many details remain obscure, but the United States has engaged in "targeted killings" in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, and possibly in Mali and the Philippines. (The Washington Post; photo, Reuters)

In a tumultuous start to the confirmation hearing for John Brennan as director of the CIA on Thursday, Brennan came under intense questioning from both Democrats and Republicans about drone strikes, leaks of classified information and his knowledge of the agency's former interrogation program.




In a sign that the hearing had focused intense scrutiny on the drone program, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told reporters after the hearing that she thinks it might be time to lift the secrecy off the program so that U.S. officials can acknowledge the strikes and correct what she said were exaggerated reports of civilian casualties.

"I think the process set up internally is a solid process," Feinstein said, but added, "I think there's an absence of knowing exactly who is responsible for what decision. So I think we need to look at this whole process and figure a way to make it transparent and identifiable."

In a long afternoon in the witness chair, Brennan declined to say whether he thinks waterboarding amounts to torture, but he said firmly it is "something that is reprehensible and should never be done again."



"I disagree with that vehemently," Brennan said.


Protesters repeatedly interrupted the hearing at its outset, including once before it had begun. Feinstein briefly ordered the proceedings halted and the room cleared so those re-entering could be screened to block obvious protesters.

In his opening statement, Brennan acknowledged "widespread debate" about the administration's counterterrorism efforts. But he said that the United States remained "at war with al-Qaeda," which "still seek to carry out deadly strikes against our homeland and our citizens."

The New York Times contributed to this report.