9/11 Panel Outs CIA Spymaster

Raising further questions about whether it's doing more harm than good, the commission probing the Sept. 11 attacks has revealed the identity of the CIA's top spymaster, a position considered so sensitive that in the entire history of the agency the anonymity of the person who holds it has never before been breached.

Called to testify on Wednesday, James L. Pavitt, head of the CIA clandestine operations unit, told the panel, "I am not a public person."

In a story headlined "Clandestine, Or at Least He Was Until Yesterday," the New York Times noted that the decision to out Pavitt by having him testify in public was so extraordinary that even some panel members expressed reluctance about the move.

"My stomach's been turning as Mr. Pavitt's been answering questions here this afternoon," 9/11 commissioner former Sen. Bob Kerrey said.

Kerrey urged the White House to issue a legal opinion saying that Pavitt's appearance did not set a precedent, the Times said.

Asked if being outed by the 9/11 panel made him uncomfortable, Pavitt answered cryptically, "Yes and no ... no one in my position has ever testified publicly."

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