By Glynn Wilson –

While the New York Times and other news outlets are reporting that Gina Haspel, President Trump’s nominee to head the CIA, apparently may have the votes to secure Senate confirmation even though she was directly involved in the Bush administration’s overseas torture program during the Iraq war, one Alabama senator will vote no.

During her confirmation hearings, she refused to condemn the program, but did make a statement indicating that the agency should not have undertaken its interrogation program in which al Qaeda detainees were tortured after the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001.

“With the benefit of hindsight and my experience as a senior agency leader, the enhanced interrogation program is not one the C.I.A. should have undertaken,” she wrote in a letter to the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. “The United States must be an example to the rest of the world, and I support that.”

While at least three Republican senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona, along with Rand Paul of Kentucky, have expressed opposition to her confirmation, three Democrats have said they will vote in her favor, including a key Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Joe Donnelly of Indiana have also indicated they will vote for her, making the vote at least close.

Most likely now that she has the votes to be confirmed, U.S. Senator Doug Jones of Alabama issued a statement late Tuesday afternoon announcing his decision to vote against Haspel.

“After spending several weeks carefully evaluating all of the information available to me about Ms. Haspel and her career, reviewing her confirmation hearing, speaking with current and former public officials, and meeting with her in person yesterday, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot support her confirmation as the Director of the CIA,” Jones said in a statement that might appease some of those in his base — three weeks before a primary election — who have been disgruntled with his vote for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other actions that seemed be less than critical of the Trump administration than he could have been. Like his silence on Trump breaking the nuclear agreement with Iran and James Comey’s book tour, in which the former FBI director came right out and accused Trump of obstruction of justice.

“While her career has been impressive, Ms. Haspel’s role in programs that conducted torture is very troubling; her refusal to acknowledge the immorality of such conduct even today with the benefit of hindsight is even more so and reflects poorly on our nation’s reputation as a moral leader in the world. Her statement today that the ‘enhanced interrogation program is not one the CIA should have undertaken’ has not relieved my concerns, which are rooted in both the responsibility I feel as a Senator and in my own deeply held faith,” Senator Jones said.

“I appreciate the commitment of Ms. Haspel and her colleagues to the service and defense of our nation, and I do not doubt the skills and expertise she has gained during her long career in the CIA,” he added. “However, the leader of the CIA, an organization tasked with operating clandestinely to keep Americans safe, must be held to the highest possible standard. There is a legal and moral responsibility that comes with operating in secrecy. Some of Ms. Haspel’s past actions and beliefs did not meet that standard. We must choose leaders that consistently embody our highest ideals, rather than our darkest moments.”

The Senate Intelligence Committee is scheduled to vote on her confirmation Wednesday, and the Republican Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said he expected the full Senate could vote by weeks end.

If confirmed, she will have her hands full with a full scale war developing between the United States, Israel and their European allies against Iran and Russia in Syria.

Update

The Senate Intelligence Committee voted for her confirmation 10-5.

The full Senate may vote on Friday.