Two former officials say Russell Travers, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, was seen as resisting potential personnel cuts.
The head of the National Counterterrorism Center and his deputy are abruptly leaving as the Trump administration considers a significant downsizing of an agency created in the aftermath of 9/11.
Peter Hall, the NCTC deputy, was sent back to his home agency, the National Security Agency, the former officials said.The NCTC, which has around 900 employees, is part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Many of the officers and analysts who work there are detailed from other agencies."We are grateful for Acting Director Russ Travers' many years of service to the American people.
With the threat from al Qaeda and related forces much diminished, some inside the intelligence community believe the time has come to shrink the agency. Others say it could play a leading role in stepping up scrutiny of far right extremist groups. Story continuesThe job had been filled by retired Navy Adm. Joseph Maguire until he moved into the role of acting DNI, and Travers then became acting director of the NCTC. Trump fired Maguire as acting DNI after an aide told lawmakers during an election security briefing that Russia was interfering in the 2020 election with a clear preference for Trump.
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