Monday, May 8 2006 10:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Criticism was growing in the US Congress in response to the likely nomination of General Michael V. Hayden as head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Among the critics were Democratic Party Senator Dianne Feinstein and Republican Party Senator Saxby Chambliss, who expressed worries concerning Hayden's military background Sunday. Feinstein stated, while speaking on ABC network, that the military should not have control over most of the US' important intelligence apparatus, adding that National Security Agency (NSA) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) were already in military hands.

Democratic Party Senator Joseph Biden warned that the CIA could be absorbed into the Pentagon with Hayden as director.

Republican Representative Peter Hoekstra, who is chairman of the house permanent select committee on intelligence, said Hayden was "the wrong person at the wrong time in the wrong place".

Previously leading the super-secretive NSA until last year, Hayden is the deputy to national intelligence director John Negroponte, a post created by Bush as part of reforms to US intelligence after the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

The Washington Post and the New York Times reported that if nominated by Bush, Hayden is likely to face questions about a once-secret surveillance programme monitoring communications between US residents and people abroad without seeking court approval.

Bush has defended the programme as necessary in fighting terrorism.