A statement from Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair:
Source: ABC Blogs"Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair announced today that Ambassador Charles W. Freeman Jr. has requested that his selection to be Chairman of the National Intelligence Council not proceed. Director Blair accepted Ambassador Freeman’s decision with regret."
Freeman has been under fire for quite some time, though the White House has had little to say on the matter.
Today at a Senate hearing, Blair faced questions about the perception that Freeman is anti-Israel and pro-Saudi Arabia and pro-China, as critics have alleged. Blair said Freeman was being taken out of context.