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AP Photo Lawrence Jackson
Early in the transition, former CIA official John Brennan was criticized by civil libertarians for having made statements in support of torture and extraordinary rendition. Brennan subsequently withdrew his name from consideration as head of the CIA and instead ended up taking a position as a deputy national security adviser. Brennan's withdrawal was seen initially as a victory for civil libertarians, a sign that the administration was responsive to substantive critiques from the left. According to news reports, he has been leading the opposition within the administration to disclosing a number of Bush-era memos from the Office of Legal Counsel dealing with torture. CIA director Leon Panetta has reportedly taken Brennan's side in this regard.Â
