Obama picks retired admiral to be DNI

Obama picks retired admiral to be DNI
By Pamela Hess - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jan 5, 2009 18:36:09 EST

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama’s top pick to become national intelligence director won high marks for countering terrorism in southeast Asia after 9/11, but he will preside over an agency that may be downsized under the new administration.

As chief of the U.S. military’s Pacific Command, Dennis Blair responded to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by devising an active anti-terror effort in south Asia. Blair worked closely with foreign partners to target the Abu Sayyif organization in the Philippines and Jemaat al Islamiyah in Indonesia, offensives that crippled both terror groups, according to intelligence and military officials familiar with his work.

Last month, Obama transition officials vacillated over whether to pick the retired admiral because of concerns that he was not a perfect fit in an agency expected to lose influence. Obama wanted a national intelligence director willing to work in a streamlined office with a narrowed focus on giving strong direction to the country’s 16 intelligence agencies, according to one current intelligence official.

The officials who commented about the 34-year Navy veteran spoke on condition of anonymity because the Obama transition team has insisted on confidentiality in its internal deliberations about personnel.

Congress followed the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission and created the national intelligence director’s office in 2004 to knit together the missions, priorities, resources and analysis of the 16 intelligence agencies. The national intelligence office was envisioned to have a staff of 500 people, but that has grown to 1,500.


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