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U.S Intelligence director resigns

28 January 2009 08:03 (UTC +04:00)

Washington-APA. National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell resigned his post effective Tuesday, APA reports.
Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, Jr. is temporarily serving as acting national intelligence director. Burgess has been confirmed by the Senate to become the next director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
In a farewell letter to intelligence employees, McConnell highlighted as top achievements the passage of updated government surveillance legislation known as FISA, and the revision of an executive order that clarifies the responsibilities of the 16 intelligence agencies in the U.S. government.
"These documents lay a foundation to provide the (intelligence community) the structure and tools needed to continue our work, while expanding privacy and civil liberties protections to all Americans," states the letter.
McConnell’s letter did not explain why he resigned before the Senate’s confirmation of his replacement.
President Barack Obama has nominated retired Adm. Dennis Blair to be the next national intelligence director. The director serves as the president’s top intelligence adviser and oversees a budget of nearly $50 billion and a work force of more than 100,000 spread across 16 agencies.
Obama has asked McConnell to serve on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. McConnell was the nation’s second national intelligence director and has served in the job for nearly two years. The position was created in 2004.
McConnell will also rejoin Booz Allen Hamilton as senior vice president, the company announced Tuesday. McConnell left the company in 2006 for the intelligence job.