Obama Nominates Clapper To Be Next Intelligence Chief

U.S. President Barack Obama (right) with national intelligence director nominee General James Clapper in Washington on June 5.

U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated James Clapper to be the next director of U.S. national intelligence.

Clapper, currently the undersecretary of defense for intelligence and a retired Air Force general, replaces Dennis Blair.

Blair stepped down as director of national intelligence last month amid concerns about U.S. domestic security following a failed car bomb attempt in New York City's Times Square and a botched attempt to blow up a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day.

The position of national intelligence director was created in 2004 to coordinate the work of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.

compiled from agency reports