WASHINGTON - In an unexpected move, John Negroponte, the US director of national intelligence, is leaving his post to move to the State Department. He will take up position as the Deputy Secretary of State and is expected to play a vital role as the Bush Administration looks to reshape its Iraq policy.
While it is unclear when he would leave the intelligence post, the move is another blow for the intelligence gathering community, which has seen little leadership ever since George J. Tenet departed from his post of the director of central intelligence in 2004.
Mr. Negroponte was supposed to help restore the credibility of the intelligence organizations, which have been dealt severe blows following repeated failures in gauging the threat levels after 9/11. Mr Bush had created the intelligence post in order to stem the tide of such failures.
However it is a fact that the administration has also struggled to fill the State Department position. Unnamed officials told the New York Times that several people have already turned down the opportunity when asked by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
But White House officials are silent on the reason for Mr Negroponte's shift. They did not comment on whether he was seen as being perfect for the State Department post or whether Bush wanted to move him because he had not lived up to expectations in the intelligence post.
Robert Zoellick was the last deputy State Secretary and after his resignation to join Goldman Sachs, the position has been vacant. Mr Negroponte needs to have a successor at intelligence and NBC News reported that retired Adm. Mike McConnel might take up the post.
He is currently a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton and has served as director of the National Security Agency for four years under Bill Clinton.
Negroponte though had envisaged staying on at intelligence until Bush left the office in 2009.
