The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, General Michael Hayden, has ordered a highly unusual internal inquiry into

the conduct of the agency's watchdog office, which is led by Inspector General John L. Helgerson. Current and former government officials said that the review has caused anxiety and anger in Helgerson's office

Frederick Hitz, who served as CIA inspector general from 1990 to 1998

said any move by the agency's director to examine the work of the inspector general would "not be proper."

A CIA spokesman strongly defended the inquiry on Thursday, saying that

"His only goal is to help this office, like any office at the agency, do its vital work even better,"

In his role as the agency's inspector general since 2002, Helgerson has investigated some of the CIA's most controversial programs begun since the Sept. 11 attacks, including its secret program to detain and interrogate high value terrorist suspects.