Counterterrorism Chief Resigning

The National Journal reports:

The head of the National Counterterrorism Center is resigning after nearly four years on the job, the administration announced today. Michael Leiter will step down in July after the White House releases its long-awaited national counterterrorism strategy, which Leiter helped to write.

NCTC, under Leiter’s tenure, has become an all-source intelligence fusion shop focused on detecting and preventing terrorist attacks inside the U.S.  Leiter is well-regarded by members of the intelligence community and by members of Congress.

"Serving in two Administrations since 2007, Mike led the National Counterterrorism Center with dedication and unwavering determination during challenging and demanding times and our nation is grateful for his many contributions to our safety and security," President Obama said in a statement.

Obama's national security team is considering several candidates to replace him, including Juan Zarate, former senior director for counter-terrorism under President Bush.

By statute, the NCTC’s director reports directly to the president and is responsible for crafting detailed counterterrorism plans. Functionally, however, the NCTC has struggled with its strategic mission, has struggled to break down bureaucratic barriers, and has been at the center of a number of attempted attacks on the American homeland, including the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines plane on Christmas Day, 2009.

Leiter, 41, presides over a staff of 500 analysts, many detailed from the country’s 16 intelligence agencies. They collect and distribute information on threats to the homeland and to Americans abroad. The NCTC's Strategic Operational Planning Directorate is headed by a senior officer from the military’s Joint Special Operations Command, which executes the nation’s counterterrorism missions overseas. But in practice, JSOC and a cell in the Joint Chiefs of Staff have written most of the plans.