WASHINGTON — US Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair will resign on Friday as President Barack Obama's top spy chief, a US official told AFP.
"We expect Admiral Blair to offer his resignation tomorrow," a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding several "strong candidates" had already been interviewed as possible replacements.
ABC News said earlier that Blair, who as director of national intelligence coordinates 16 US intelligence agencies, had lost the full confidence of the White House...
A very interesting situation--in his letter of resignation, Blair doesn't even mention the president or his administration officials. Generally, officials resigning under good terms tend to "thank" their bosses and colleagues. Not so in this case. The Republicans contend that Blair had tried to do his job, but that his abilities to execute his intel duties were significantly hindered by the Obama White House:
Blair "deserves this nation's thanks for his long service to our country. It must have been challenging to be forced on the sidelines by the attorney general but still catch all the blame for failings," said Senator Kit Bond, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
His counterpart in the House of Representatives, Pete Hoekstra, said the decision to step down rather "than continue to serve as America's top intelligence officer is a disturbing sign" of Obama's approach.
Hoekstra accused Obama of "micromanagement" of intelligence, "sidelining" Blair, and "rampant politicization of national security."
"The concerns I have come from how the Obama administration conducts national security, not over the director of national intelligence, who they never allowed to do it," he added.
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