[JURIST] John Negroponte [official profile], President Bush's selection for the new national intelligence director post, is expected to win Senate confirmation, but human rights questions dogging Negroponte from his time as ambassador to Honduras may slow the process. Confirmation hearings in the Senate Intelligence Committee [official website] begin Tuesday. Human rights groups have maintained [JURIST report] that Negroponte supported human rights violations during his time in Honduras by backing Contra rebels and military units that kidnapped and killed civilians. Negroponte has denied the allegations, but the same issue held up his confirmation as UN ambassador for half a year. Much of the hearing is expected to focus on how Negroponte will carry out reforms made [JURIST report] by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 [text] to reign in the nation's 15 intelligence agencies. AP has more.