Gen. Keith Alexander will retire next spring as head of the controversy-plagued National Security Agency, the White House said Thursday.
Gen. Alexander told President Obama several weeks ago about “his interest in retiring” next year when his current term expires, said White House press secretary Jay Carney. He has served as head of the NSA since August 2005.
The agency has come under fire this year for its surveillance tactics, which have included collecting data of American citizens who have contact with people overseas. The scope of the NSA’s activities have been revealed in detail this year by leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is living in Russia while being sought by U.S. authorities on federal charges.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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