US Senate confirms Hayden as CIA director

WASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) The US Senate today confirmed Air Force Gen Michael Hayden as CIA director in a vote that gave a broad bipartisan endorsement to the architect of President George W Bush's domestic spying program.

Hayden, 61, who has served as principal deputy to US intelligence chief John Negroponte up to now, replaces Porter Goss, who forced to resign earlier this month.

The 78-15 vote to confirm Hayden included the support of several Senate Democrats.

Bush and the Senate were eager to get Hayden confirmed before leaving on a week-long recess so that the top CIA job would not be vacant.

Goss resigned after clashing with Negroponte amid widespread concern about the future of the storied spy agency that has seen its reputation eroded by reforms and intelligence breakdowns over the September 11 attacks and prewar Iraq.

Dissenting votes came from Democrats who expressed concern over the National Security Agency spying program that monitors the international phone calls and e-mails of US citizens without warrants while pursuing al Qaeda suspects.

Hayden was NSA director when Bush ordered the program in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Critics say it exceeds the president's constitutional powers and violates a federal law requiring court warrants for eavesdropping inside the United States.

But most Democrats appeared to take the lead of influential party members including Senator John Rockefeller of West Virginia, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who has called Hayden an experienced and independent leader capable of restoring the CIA's credibility.

REUTERS SHR BST2100