US President George W. Bush has nominated as CIA director Rep Porter Goss, head of the House Intelligence Committee, to replace Mr George Tenet, who quit last month under a cloud of criticism.
U.S. President George W. Bush announcing the appointment of Representative Porter Goss (R-Fl) (L) as the new Director of the CIA in the Rose Garden of the White House today.
Speaking at a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House, Mr Bush said Mr Goss - a former CIA intelligence officer himself - was the right man to lead the agency at a time of unprecedented threats against America.
"Porter Goss is a leader with strong experience in intelligence and in fighting against terrorism," said Mr Bush.
"He is the right man to lead this important agency at this critical moment in our nation's history. The work of the CIA is vital to our security," he added.
Mr Goss, a Florida Republican, said he was honored to be the president's choice to lead the CIA, which has been criticised for failing to provide enough intelligence to prevent the Sept. 11th, 2001, attacks and giving false information on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Mr Bush
"What many Americans don't realize is we've got a lot of people around the globe doing very, very hard work - long hours in dangerous situations," said Mr Goss.
Goss, 65, had been considered the leading candidate after Tenet resigned as CIA chief on July 11th. The CIA currently is being run by an acting director.
His nomination will be joined in the coming days with a number of executive orders Bush is expected to issue for intelligence reforms after recommendations from the commission that investigated the September 11th, 2001, attacks.
When Mr Goss' name was first floated for the position, Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he would not support someone from Congress in that job and complained Mr Goss would be too partisan.
The committee would have to hold confirmation hearings for the new CIA director.
If confirmed by Congress, the Florida Republican would be only the second congressman to head the Central Intelligence Agency after George H. W. Bush, the former president and father of the current incumbent.