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WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its alarm over the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence vote to confirm General Michael V. Hayden as the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The committee voted 12 to 3 to name the former Director of the National Security Agency to the highest position at the CIA.

The ACLU is a non-partisan organization, and takes no position on Hayden’s nomination.

The following can be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

"Hayden’s public and private support of the NSA's illegal program to pry into the lives of innocent Americans speaks volumes about his willingness to sacrifice the rule of law to cater to this administration's policies. His continued stonewalling in response to legitimate questions from Senators about the extent of this illegal surveillance as well as the CIA's record of torture and unlawful rendition raises serious questions about whether the CIA will continue to ignore the Constitution and federal statutes written to protect civil liberties. We are dismayed that the Intelligence Committee voted to confirm Mr. Hayden without first getting full and public answers from the nominee about the illegal NSA spy program he helped put in place."

For more on the ACLU’s concerns with the warrantless NSA spying program, go to:

www.aclu.org/nsaspying