Bush accepts CIA chief’s resignation
Porter Goss’ tenure marked by conflict with career employees and controversy over leaks of classified information.
CIA Director Porter Goss announced Friday that he was leaving his post.
"It has been a very distinct honor and privilege to serve you and, of course, the people of the country and the employees of the Central Intelligence Agency," Goss told President Bush in an Oval Office appearance.
"I would like to report back to you that I believe the agency is on a very even keel," Goss added.
Bush said he had a "very close, personal relationship" with Goss. He characterized the CIA chief's tenure as "one of transition." Bush said Goss had helped integrate the CIA into the new intelligence community structure and had developed a five-year plan to increase the number of analysts and operatives.
"I am confident that his successor will continue the reforms that he's put in place, and as a result, this country will be more secure," Bush said."
President Bush nominated Goss to the CIA's top post in 2004. Goss, then an eight-term member of Congress and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was seen as a leading figure on Capitol Hill on national security issues. Prior to his service in Congress, Goss had worked during the 1960s in the CIA's Clandestine Services in Latin America and Europe.
"He knows the CIA inside and out," Bush said at a White House ceremony marking Goss' nomination.
Goss was initially well received at the CIA, but many longtime employees of the agency were dismayed when the new director brought four of his aides from Capitol Hill with him to fill top management slots at the agency.
More recently, Goss cracked down on CIA leaks, a move that was seen as part of a campaign to keep embarrassing information from former agency insiders from becoming public.
Goss was viewed as a leading candidate to become the Director of National Intelligence after that position was created following his nomination to head the CIA. But the DNI job went to veteran diplomat John Negroponte instead, and in the process, Goss lost many of the powers traditionally held by the CIA director to oversee the entire U.S. intelligence community.