The appointment of the former Pacific forces commander has been pending since Obama was elected in November.

However, after Retired Adm. Dennis Blair's name was mentioned for the post created by Congress in 2004 after the U.S. intelligence network failed to predict the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, human rights supporters expressed concern over Blair's actions leading up to and following East Timor's August 1999 referendum on independence from Indonesia. They believed that Blair, as commander of all U.S. forces in the Pacific, ran interference for the Indonesian armed forces as they and their militia proxies committed crimes against humanity on a wide scale.

If confirmed by the Senate, Blair, 61, would oversee the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, which have a combined budget of at least $47.5 billion.

A sixth-generation naval officer, Blair graduated from the Naval Academy in 1968 and was a Rhodes Scholar, majoring in Russian studies at Oxford University. He served as a White House Fellow from 1975 to 1976.

In November the New York Times described Blair as being “;a cerebral and intense workaholic.”;

The newspaper said he also tried to water-ski behind a Navy destroyer while commanding the ship in Japan. An avid fisherman who speaks Russian, he was in the same Naval Academy graduating class as Oliver North and Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia.

He was passed over for chairman of the Joint Chiefs by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who considered him too independent and was wary of his views on engagement in Asia, the paper said.

His last job in the military was as the Hawaii-based Pacific commander in chief, the highest-ranking officer over all U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific region. He held the position from February 1999 to May 2002, when he retired.

“;I am pleased President-elect Obama selected someone with such extensive hands-on knowledge of national security issues in the Asia-Pacific region,”; said U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka. “;He served our country well as commander in chief of the Pacific, and I trust he will serve with the same level of duty and honor if confirmed as director of national intelligence.”;