U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday expressed support for the nomination of Michael Hayden, an Air Force general, as the new Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief, but denied the Pentagon was trying to expand control over the intelligence community.

At a press briefing at the Pentagon, Rumsfeld said there was no "power play taking place in Washington, and termed Hayden, currently the principal deputy director of National Intelligence, as "an intelligence professional."

He said Hayden had had assignment after assignment after assignment in the intelligence business, and the general was "very good at it."

President George W. Bush named Hayden to head the CIA on Monday, to succeed Porter Goss, who resigned last Friday after having served less than two years in the position.

Rumsfeld acknowledged that he disagreed with Hayden in 2004 on whether the National Security Agency (NSA) should remain within the Pentagon or be moved under control the proposed Office of Director of National Intelligence. Hayden served as head of the NSA from 1999 before he was appointed deputy director of National Intelligence in April last year.

Hayden favored putting the NSA under the control of the director of National Intelligence, while Rumsfeld opposed it. The NSA eventually remained in the Pentagon.

To put an active duty general in charge of the CIA has generated criticism from some members of Congress, who have said the move could jeopardize the spy agency's independence and allow the Pentagon to expand its control of the U.S. intelligence community.

Source: Xinhua