Donald Trump's pick to run the CIA, Gina Haspel, offered to withdraw over 'torture' role

President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the CIA, Gina Haspel, has offered to withdraw over concerns about her role in the agency's interrogation programme, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Ms Haspel made her offer on Friday - reported The Washington and Reuters - in a move prompted by growing concern among her supporters that White House staff were nervous that the nomination was in trouble, the sources said.

She had been summoned to the White House to discuss her role in a programme that used techniques condemned as torture, including waterboarding al-Qaeda suspects.

During the meeting she told officials she would step aside in order to avoid what is expected to be a bruising Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing on Wednesday and to re-open the debate about CIA activities. She left afterwards to return to agency headquarters.

White House aides including legislative affairs liaison Marc Short and spokeswoman Sarah Sanders then rushed to Langley for discussions on Friday that lasted several hours but did not secure a commitment from her to stick with the nomination, the Washington Post reported.

Only on Saturday afternoon was the White House assured she would not withdraw, it quoted the officials as saying.

"Acting Director Haspel is a highly qualified nominee who has dedicated over three decades of service to her country," said Raj Shah, White House spokesman.

He added that her nomination would not be derailed by partisan critics.

Mr Trump named Ms Haspel, the first woman selected to head the Central Intelligence Agency, to succeed Mike Pompeo, who became secretary of state last month.

Ms Haspel's nomination has generated opposition because of her role in a defunct program in which the agency detained and interrogated al-Qaeda suspects in secret prisons overseas using techniques widely condemned as torture.

Former President George W Bush authorised the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation Programme after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Many details of Ms Haspel's work remain classified. Sources familiar with her career who requested anonymity said that at one point she was the chief of the CIA station in a country where harsh interrogations were used on at least one terrorism suspect.

Later, she served as chief of staff to Jose Rodriguez, the head of CIA undercover operations. In consultation with MS Rodriguez in 2005, she drafted a cable ordering CIA officers to destroy videotapes of al-Qaeda suspects being tortured.