Goss, Porter

On August 10, 2004, President George W. Bush selected Goss, a Republican, Yale University Greek major, and CIA operative between approximately 1961 and 1971, to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and burnish its image as a more positive Homeland Security force. At the time, the CIA was accused by U.S. citizens of failing to prevent the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Goss, a past chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Intelligence (having jurisdiction over the CIA and a variety of U.S. intelligence agencies), took over from former CIA Chief George Tenet, who left the ­position in July 2004. Initially it was believed that the CIA chief’s job was to be a stepping stone for Mr. Goss, for President Bush signaled a desire to appoint a so-called “Intelligence czar” to oversee all U.S. intelligence operations. However, on February 15, 2005, President Bush appointed former Ambassador to Iraq John Negroponte to the more empowered post.

Goss resigned as CIA Director on May 5, 2006, and was succeeded by United States Air Force General Michael Hayden, who received Senate confirmation on May 26, 2006.

See Also: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Intelligence; U.S. Intelligence Community.