| | Obama pledges intel chiefs will break controversial practices
President-elect Barack Obama pledged Tuesday to make a break with the CIA's controversial war on terror practices when naming new intelligence chiefs but said his picks would look forward, not backwards.
Obama praised Leon Panetta, who aides have said is Obama's choice for CIA chief, as "one of the finest public servants we have" but stopped short of confirming that he has chosen the former White House chief of staff to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.
"I think what you'll also see is a team that is committed to breaking with the past practices and concerns that have tarnished the image of the agencies, both intelligence agencies as well as US foreign policy," Obama told reporters.
But he stressed that there were "outstanding" intelligence professionals at the CIA and other US intelligence agencies "and I have the utmost regard for the work they have done.
"And we are committed to making sure that this is a team effort that is not looking backwards, but is looking forward to figure out how to best serve the American people.
This video is from MSNBC's News Live, broadcast Jan. 6, 2008.
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