WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The director of national intelligence, John Negroponte, will leave his post to take a senior position at the State Department, U.S. officials said on Wednesday. "He will leave to become Deputy Secretary of State," said a U.S. official who asked not to be identified.The official said an official announcement is expected soon. But it was not clear how soon Negroponte would be able to leave his current position because there is no deputy standing ready to take over his responsibilities, the official said. Negroponte's office declined to comment.
| Why would he give up a position as the Director to become a Deputy Secretary? Something doesn't add up. |
NBC News, which earlier reported Negroponte's move to State, said Negroponte's likely successor as head of U.S. intelligence is retired Adm. Mike McConnell, director of the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996 under former President Bill Clinton. McConnell is now a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, the Washington contractor and consulting agency.
Negroponte was the first U.S. intelligence czar, filling a post created to bring all federal intelligence agencies under a single umbrella.