US intelligence czar leaving post, go to State

WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) The director of US national intelligence, John Negroponte, will leave his post to take a senior position at the US State Department, US officials said.

''He will leave to become Deputy Secretary of State,'' said a US official who asked not to be identified yesterday.

The official said an official announcement is expected soon. But it was not clear how soon Mr Negroponte would be able to leave his current position because there is no deputy standing ready to take over his responsibilities, the official said.

Mr Negroponte's office declined to comment.

He will become Deputy Secretary of State, the No 2 position at the department after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The position was formerly held by Robert Zoellick, who announced his resignation in June to join leading investment bank Goldman Sachs.

He had not yet been replaced.

NBC News, which earlier reported Mr Negroponte's move to State, said Mr Negroponte's likely successor as head of US intelligence is retired Adm. Mike McConnell, director of the National Security Agency from 1992 to 1996 under former President Bill Clinton.

McConnell is now a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, the Washington contractor and consulting agency.

Negroponte was the first U.S. intelligence czar, filling a post created to bring all federal intelligence agencies under a single umbrella.

REUTERS SRS PM0730