1. Early Life and Education
Gina Cheri Walker was born on October 1, 1956, in Ashland, Kentucky. Her father served in the United States Air Force, and she has four siblings. Haspel attended high school in the United Kingdom. She pursued higher education at the University of Kentucky for three years before transferring to the University of Louisville for her senior year. She graduated in May 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in languages and journalism. From 1980 to 1981, she worked as a civilian library coordinator at Fort Devens in Massachusetts. She further obtained a paralegal certificate from Northeastern University in 1982 and worked as a paralegal until she was recruited by the CIA.
2. Early CIA Career
Haspel joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in January 1985 as a reports officer. Her career largely involved undercover overseas assignments, with much of her early professional record remaining classified.
2.1. Overseas Assignments
Haspel held several undercover overseas positions throughout her early career. Her first field assignment was in Ethiopia from 1987 to 1989. Following this, she had assignments in Central Eurasia and Turkey. From 1990 to 2001, she held various positions across Europe and Central Eurasia. Notably, from 1996 to 1998, Haspel served as a station chief in Baku, Azerbaijan.
2.2. Counterterrorism Center Roles
From 2001 to 2003, Haspel was listed as Deputy Group Chief within the CIA's Counterterrorism Center. During this period, between October and December 2002, Haspel was assigned to oversee a secret CIA prison in Thailand, known as Detention Site GREEN, code-named "Cat's Eye." This site was part of the U.S. government's "extraordinary rendition" program initiated after the September 11 attacks.
3. Controversy Regarding Torture Program
Gina Haspel's career has been significantly marked by controversy regarding her alleged involvement in the CIA's post-9/11 interrogation programs, which have been widely criticized for their ethical implications and human rights impacts.
3.1. Operation of Secret Prisons in Thailand
From late October 2002, Haspel served as the chief of base for a CIA "black site" prison in Thailand, codenamed "Cat's Eye" (also known as Detention Site GREEN). This facility was used to house individuals suspected of involvement in Al-Qaeda. According to a former senior CIA official, Haspel arrived as station chief after the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah but was chief during the waterboarding of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. In January 2019, partially redacted transcripts from a pre-trial hearing of the Guantanamo Military Commission concerning Khalid Sheikh Mohammed seemed to indicate that Haspel had also been the "Chief of Base" of a clandestine CIA detention site at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station during the 2003-2004 period.
3.2. Involvement in Torture and Abuse
Haspel has faced allegations of overseeing or directly participating in "enhanced interrogation techniques" at the black site in Thailand. These techniques, which critics widely classify as torture, included waterboarding, slamming detainees against a wall, confining them to small boxes (including one with dimensions of 21 in (53 cm) wide and 30 in (76 cm) deep), and depriving them of sleep and clothing. Detainees were also subjected to threats of death and verbal abuse, with interrogators calling them "a little girl," "a spoiled little rich Saudi," and a "sissy."
While the Bush Administration considered these techniques legal based on a set of secret, now-rescinded legal opinions that expansively defined executive authority and narrowly defined torture, human rights organizations have consistently condemned them. Declassified CIA cables from November 2002, likely authorized or written by Haspel while she was base chief, describe acts of deliberate physical torture of detainees, including waterboarding and confinement, which Haspel personally observed. Although initial reports in early 2017 suggested Haspel oversaw the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah, later corrections clarified that she became chief of base after Zubaydah's torture, but was involved in the torture of al-Nashiri. Abu Zubaydah, a Saudi national captured in 2002, was the first Al-Qaeda suspect to undergo the "enhanced interrogation program," enduring 83 waterboarding sessions and prolonged confinement, leading to the loss of sight in one eye.
3.3. Destruction of Interrogation Tapes
Haspel played a role in the destruction of 92 interrogation videotapes in 2005. These tapes documented the torture of detainees at the black site she ran in Thailand and at other secret agency locations. According to Jose Rodriguez, Director of the National Clandestine Service at the time, Haspel drafted a cable in 2005 ordering the destruction of these tapes in response to mounting public scrutiny of the program. A partially-declassified CIA document shows that a new method of record-keeping at the Thailand black site, involving re-recording over the videos, was implemented in late October 2002, shortly after Haspel's arrival. During her Senate confirmation hearing, Haspel stated that the tapes were destroyed to protect the identities of CIA officers whose faces were visible, at a time when leaks of U.S. intelligence were rampant. However, in May 2018, former CIA analyst Gail Helt reported that she had been told some of the controversial torture recordings had not been destroyed after all.
3.4. Legal and Ethical Challenges
Haspel has faced significant legal and ethical criticisms for her alleged involvement in the torture program. In December 2014, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a non-governmental organization focused on human rights litigation, requested that criminal charges be brought against unidentified CIA operatives following the publication of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture. On June 7, 2017, the ECCHR specifically called on the Public Prosecutor General of Germany to issue an arrest warrant against Haspel, centering on claims she oversaw the torture of Abu Zubaydah. Critics, including Senator Rand Paul, labeled her a "war criminal" and expressed concern over her "glee" during waterboarding, an allegation that was later retracted.
Senator John McCain, a staunch opponent of torture due to his own experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, called on Haspel to provide a detailed account of her participation in the CIA's detention program from 2001 to 2009. He also pressed her to clarify her role in the destruction of videotapes and to commit to declassifying the full 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture. Multiple senators criticized the CIA for allegedly selectively declassifying only positive information about Haspel's career while refusing to release "meaningful" information about her controversial past.
4. Key Leadership Positions within the CIA
Haspel progressed through various significant leadership roles within the CIA, often facing scrutiny due to her past involvement in controversial programs.
4.1. National Clandestine Service Leadership
Haspel served in multiple leadership capacities within the National Clandestine Service (NCS), which is responsible for covert operations globally. Her roles included Deputy Director of the NCS, Deputy Director of the NCS for Foreign Intelligence and Covert Action, and Chief of Staff for the Director of the NCS. In 2013, John Brennan, then the Director of Central Intelligence, named Haspel as the acting director of the National Clandestine Service. However, she was not appointed to the position permanently due to criticism regarding her involvement in the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation program. Her permanent appointment was notably opposed by Senator Dianne Feinstein and other members of the Senate.
4.2. Deputy Director of the CIA
On February 2, 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Haspel as Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. This position does not require Senate confirmation. Devin Nunes, then Chairman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued a statement praising Haspel's dedication, forthrightness, and deep commitment to the Intelligence Community, calling her "undoubtedly the right person for the job."
Despite this, several members of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence urged Trump to reconsider her appointment. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse specifically voiced concerns about reports of her involvement in the unauthorized destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes. Senators Ron Wyden and Martin Heinrich requested the declassification of information that they believed detailed why Haspel was "unsuitable" for the position. Additionally, psychologists Bruce Jessen and James Elmer Mitchell, who designed the "enhanced interrogation" program, sought to compel Haspel and her colleague James Cotsana to testify on their behalf in a lawsuit brought by former detainees. The Department of Justice subsequently moved to prevent Haspel from detailing her role, asserting the "state secrets privilege".
5. Director of the CIA
Gina Haspel's tenure as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency marked a historic moment as she became the first woman to permanently lead the agency.
5.1. Nomination and Confirmation
On March 13, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Haspel to be the Director of the CIA, succeeding Mike Pompeo, who was tapped to become the new Secretary of State. This nomination made her the first woman to be nominated for and, upon confirmation, to permanently serve as CIA Director. (Previously, Meroe Park served as acting director for three days in January 2017). Robert Baer, who once supervised Haspel at the CIA, publicly supported her, describing her as "smart, tough and effective."
However, her nomination faced significant opposition due to her past. Senator Rand Paul announced his opposition, stating, "To really appoint the head cheerleader for waterboarding to be head of the CIA? I mean, how could you trust somebody who did that to be in charge of the CIA?" He further highlighted her alleged oversight of a black site and destruction of evidence. Senator John McCain called on Haspel to provide a detailed account of her participation in the CIA's detention program from 2001 to 2009. He also pressed her to clarify her role in the destruction of interrogation videotapes. He also urged her to commit to declassifying the 2014 Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture. There were also criticisms that the CIA was selectively declassifying only positive information about Haspel's career to influence public perception.
More than 50 former senior U.S. government officials, including six former CIA Directors (such as John Brennan, Leon Panetta, and Michael Hayden) and three former Directors of National Intelligence, signed a letter supporting her nomination. Conversely, a group of 109 retired generals and admirals expressed "profound concern" over her nomination due to her record and alleged involvement in torture and evidence destruction. Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) criticized media coverage that framed Haspel's nomination as a victory for feminism. The Washington Post Editorial Board also expressed opposition, citing her failure to condemn the CIA's defunct torture program as immoral.
On May 9, 2018, Haspel appeared before the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence for her confirmation hearing. On May 14, she sent a letter to Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, stating that, in hindsight, the CIA should not have operated its interrogation and detention program. This statement led Warner to announce his support for her. The Senate Intelligence Committee approved her nomination on May 16 by a 10-5 vote, with two Democrats voting in favor. The full Senate confirmed Haspel the next day, May 17, by a 54-45 vote, largely along party lines. Senators Paul and Jeff Flake were the only Republicans to vote against her, while six Democrats-Joe Donnelly, Joe Manchin, Mark Warner, Heidi Heitkamp, Bill Nelson, and Jeanne Shaheen-voted in favor. Senator McCain, who had urged his colleagues to reject her nomination, did not cast a vote as he was hospitalized at the time.
5.2. Tenure and Key Activities
Haspel was officially sworn in on May 21, 2018, becoming the first woman to permanently serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. During her tenure, she focused on strengthening the agency's operations and leadership.
On January 29, 2019, during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Haspel stated that the CIA was "pleased" with the first Trump administration's March 2018 expulsion of 61 Russian diplomats following the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. She also noted that the CIA did not object to the Treasury Department's December 2018 decision to remove sanctions on three Russian companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. Regarding relations between North Korea and the United States, Haspel assessed that North Korea valued dialogue with the U.S. and that Kim Jong-un appeared to be seeking a better future for his people.
By May 2019, Haspel had appointed many women to senior positions within the CIA, reflecting a shift in leadership demographics. In December 2020, Haspel became the subject of a death hoax circulating on social media, falsely claiming she was killed, injured, or arrested in a CIA raid on a server farm in Frankfurt. These claims were widely debunked by fact-checking organizations. The CIA announced her retirement after 36 years of service via a tweet on January 19, 2021, one day before the presidential transition from Trump to Joe Biden. William J. Burns was selected by President Biden on January 11, 2021, to succeed Haspel and was sworn in as the new director on March 19, 2021.
6. Post-CIA Activities
Following her retirement from the CIA, Gina Haspel began advising the law firm King & Spalding in July 2021.
7. Awards and Recognition
Throughout her distinguished career in intelligence, Gina Haspel received several notable awards and recognitions, including:
- The George H. W. Bush Award for excellence in counterterrorism
- The Donovan Award
- The Intelligence Medal of Merit
- The Presidential Rank Award
8. Personal Life
Gina Haspel married Jeff Haspel, who served in the United States Army, in 1976. They divorced in 1985. From 2001 to 2018, she owned a home in Ashburn, Virginia.