Matt Olsen, Obama’s Counterterrorism Director Resigns
July 10, 2014
WASHINGTON — Matthew G. Olsen, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, is resigning after three years, a time during which the threat from Al Qaeda shifted from its headquarters in Pakistan to its affiliates in places like Syria, Iraq and Yemen. “Most Americans may not know Matt Olsen’s name, but every American is safer because of his service,” President Obama said in a statement released by the White House.
President Barack Obama is thanking the outgoing director of the National Counterterrorism Center as he wraps up a 24-year career in the federal service. Obama says the former federal prosecutor and his team have been critical to administration efforts to disrupt terrorist cells, thwart attacks and protect the public from evolving threats at home and abroad. The agency has primary responsibility for analyzing terrorism intelligence. It also plans activities to counter terrorism.