U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to nominate top counterterrorism adviser John Brennan as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Mr. Obama first considered Brennan for the CIA job when he took office in 2009, but Brennan withdrew himself from consideration because of criticism about his ties to controversial interrogation techniques.

Brennan has a long history with the CIA, where he previously served as the agency's station chief in Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. Senate must confirm his appointment. If approved, he will replace former CIA Chief David Petraeus, who resigned in November after a federal probe uncovered evidence of an extramarital affair.