May 6 (Bloomberg) -- Michael Hayden, a veteran intelligence official who has strongly defended the government's warrantless eavesdropping on suspected terrorists, is likely to be nominated by President George W. Bush to run the Central Intelligence Agency, a senior administration official said.
Hayden, 61, is currently the principal deputy director in the Office of National Intelligence, which was formed last year to coordinate all U.S. intelligence functions. Previously, he served as director of the National Security Agency, which is responsible for monitoring and evaluating foreign electronic communications.
Hayden would replace Porter Goss, who resigned yesterday as CIA director after serving less than two years in that post. The job of CIA director has become less important since the creation last year of the national intelligence office, whose director, John Negroponte, has taken over a number of functions once performed by the CIA chief.
Hayden is a logical choice to run the CIA because of his long experience in the intelligence community, said James Bamford, whose 1982 book, ``The Puzzle Palace,'' explored the secretive domain of the NSA.
``Hayden's looked at as the most professional person in the world of intelligence,'' Bamford said in an interview. ``NSA, which he ran, is the largest intelligence agency in the world.''
The one disadvantage of the appointment for Bush, Bamford said, would be Hayden's central role in devising the eavesdropping program. It has been highly controversial since it was revealed last year, and some Democrats are calling for a congressional inquiry.
Investigation Possible
``Would you really want him to be DCI and then have a congressional investigation if the Democrats retake Congress?'' Bamford said.
Bush's intention to nominate Hayden to the CIA post was first reported by Time magazine, which said in an article posted last night on its Web site that the announcement could come as early as Monday. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hayden first came to public prominence in 1999 when he was named NSA director.
The NSA was so secretive that it had been dubbed ``No Such Agency.'' Yet Hayden decided to change what he saw as public misconceptions about it and began courting the press and inviting reporters to off-the-record talks in his home, James Risen wrote in his book, ``State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration.''
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Hayden authorized a comprehensive effort to conduct surveillance on phone calls without warrants. Known simply as ``The Program,'' the initiative has generated an intense debate about its legality.
Program Defended
Bush has defended the program's legality, saying that a 1978 law designed to allow surveillance of suspected terrorists was outdated and outmoded -- even though the act allowed the government to install wiretaps with a 72-hour grace period before formally seeking a warrant.
Government statistics show that of the more than 18,000 wiretap requests made under the law since its inception, only 5 were rejected.
In an unusual step, Hayden publicly defended the new spying program in a January speech at the National Press Club in Washington. ``It's focused, it's targeted and it's very carefully done,'' Hayden said. ``You shouldn't worry.''
Experts on telecommunications and the NSA have said the agency specializes in wide-ranging monitoring of electronic communications. More targeted wiretaps are usually left to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
`Humint'
If Hayden becomes CIA head, Bamford said, it would be his first venture into the area of ``humint,'' or human intelligence, as opposed to electronic surveillance. ``Hayden spent his entire career as an intelligence techie,'' Bamford said. ``So this will be the first time he's heavily involved in humint.''
In April 2005, Hayden became principal deputy director of national intelligence. In that post, he has run the daily operations of the office, which was created last year by Congress in response to the failure to thwart the Sept. 11 attacks.
Earlier in his career, Hayden, an Air Force lieutenant general, served at the Headquarters U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany; with the White House National Security Council; and with U.S. forces in South Korea. He's the recipient of a Bronze Star.
