The White House on Thursday defended the head of a key anti-terrorism agency, following reports he did not cut short a ski vacation in the aftermath of a Christmas attack on a US airliner.
Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) was the subject of a New York Daily News report, which appeared to form part of a whispering campaign suggesting his job may be at risk.
But the White House vigorously defended Leiter, in a move possibly aimed at quelling speculation he could be fired over intelligence errors exposed during the December 25 plot to blow up a Northwest jet.
"Director Leiter was throughout the events of December 25, 2009 indeed at the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Virginia," said Denis McDonough, chief of staff of the National Security Council, in a statement.
Leiter was "intimately involved" in all aspects of responding to the attack, including coordinating intelligence, briefing lawmakers and examining watch list information, McDonough said.
"Only after explicit consultations with both the White House and the Director of National Intelligence and considering the current threat environment, did Director Leiter take six days of annual leave after the event," McDonough said.
He added that the vacation did not in any way impact Leiter's "ability to remain engaged with all elements of the United States government."
The NCTC was set up after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and was designed to collate information about terrorism threats and organize US government counter-terrorism efforts.
Some critics have suggested it did not perform properly in the run-up to the alleged attempt by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, to destroy the jet with explosives sewn into his underwear.
Copyright 2010  AFP American Edition
