Obama nominee withdrawing over interrogations

Philip Mudd, tapped to work at DHS, had "direct knowledge" of the harsh techniques used under President Bush

Published June 5, 2009 8:45PM (EDT)

President Obama has, reportedly, lost another high-level nominee. The latest to go is Philip Mudd, who was tapped to be under secretary of intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security.

During the Bush administration, Mudd had served for a time as deputy director of the Office of Terrorism Analysis at the CIA. According to the Associated Press, in that position, he had direct knowledge of the administration's interrogation program.

Given the sensitivity of that issue, and the opposition to that program and the people who participated in it, it seems that the AP's disclosure of Mudd's peripheral role was enough to kill his chances.


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

MORE FROM Alex Koppelman


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Torture War Room