Senate approves 61-year-old veteran spy Gina Haspel to head the CIA (US espionage agency) on May 17.
Following the appointment, Haspel has become the first ever woman to become the director of CIA.
US President Donald Trump nominated the name of Haspel to fill in the position of CIA head. She attained the esteemed position with a 54-45 split voting.
She became deputy director of the CIA last year only and has also served in directorial capacities in various organizations like the National Clandestine Service. Haspel had played an extremely hard role as a spy in interrogation program after 9/11 attack.
“My highly respected nominee for CIA Director, Gina Haspel, has come under fire because she was too tough on Terrorists,” earlier Trump had tweeted.
From the past three decades Haspel has been working as a spy in secret torture cells. Reportedly she played a massive role in the brutal handling of suspected al Qaeda terrorist Abu Zubaydah who even lost his eye due to extensive torture.
The new CIA director has been awarded with a number of high-profile awards and medals, including Presidential Rank Award and George H W Bush Award.
