Intelligence chief resigns
Dennis Blair’s departure comes amid criticism of the intelligence community’s ability to share information effectively.
The government's top intelligence official is resigning, according to ABC News. CNN and the Associated Press also reported the news.
Word of Blair's departure comes amid criticism of the intelligence community's ability to share and analyze data effectively to prevent terrorist attacks. On Tuesday the Senate Intelligence Committee released the results of its investigation of the Christmas bombing attempt, concluding that 14 human, technology and policy obstacles prevented the government from analyzing intelligence that could have stopped the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, from boarding and trying to blow up the Detroit-bound plane.
Blair and CIA Director Leon Panetta said that they were taking corrective actions to address problems identified by the report.
The government's third intelligence director has not had an easy tenure. Several intelligence lapses, including those related to the Christmas bombing attempt and the May 1 attempted bombing in New York City's Times Square, have occurred on his watch. He has tried to overhaul the structure of the intelligence community to streamline a bureaucracy that spans nearly 20 agencies as well as repair fractious relations with Capitol Hill.
Blair retired from the Navy in 2002, and is a former commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command.