President Bush Accepts Resignation of Goss as CIA Director

Says Goss served "ably" during time of transition at intelligence agency

President Bush announced May 5 that he has accepted the resignation of Porter Goss as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Speaking from the Oval Office with Goss at his side, Bush said he appreciated the integrity Goss has shown and "the honor that he brought to the job."

"He's led ably," the president said, adding that Goss developed "a five-year plan to increase the number of analysts and operatives, which is going to help make this country a safer place and help us win the War on Terror. He's instilled a sense of professionalism."

Goss told Bush "the trust and confidence you've placed in me and given me the latitude to work is something I could never have imagined and I am most grateful for it."

Goss was a Republican congressman from Florida and the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence when he was nominated by Bush to head the CIA in August 2004. He was approved by the Senate in September 2004 and has held the position since then. (See related article.)

Bush said Goss served at a time of "transition" at the CIA. "He's helped this agency become integrated into the intelligence community, and that was a tough job," he said.

"I'm confident that his successor will continue reforms that he's put in place and as a result, this country will be more secure," Bush said.

Goss said he believes the CIA is "on a very even keel, sailing well" and that "we have improved dramatically your goals for our nation's intelligence capabilities, which are in fact the things that I think that are keeping us very safe."

Source: U.S. Department of State

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