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Paul Bedard
Well, that was fast. Just a few days after Whispers revealed insider rumors about changes inside the CIA and intelligence community, CIA Director Leon Panetta announced that his first deputy Steve Kappes is retiring from the world's premier spy agency.
In a memo to workers posted below, Panetta called deputy Steve Kappes a "one-of-a-kind professional" who made the former congressman's transition to Langley easier.
In his memo, Panetta also announced that a long-time deputy at the agency will be moving into Kappes' office. Michael Morell is a 30-year veteran of the agency, was a associate deputy director, and even one of the CIA officials who has conducted the early morning Oval Office presidential briefing.
Here's Panetta's memo:
Message from the Director: Changes in CIA's Senior Leadership Team
When I came to the CIA in February of 2009, I was extremely pleased that Steve Kappes agreed to stay on as my Deputy. He was a great partner and I, like so many others, valued his advice and experience. Steve is a one-of-a-kind professional who has dedicated himself to the CIA. He has helped me tremendously in guiding this great organization. Having worked side-by-side on some of the toughest issues around, I'm proud to call him a friend.
Throughout his life, Steve has put the needs of others first, as he did in returning to the CIA in the summer of 2006. He hadn't planned on so lengthy a stay this time around. So when he told me a few months ago that it was time for him to move on, I understood. Steve has, to put it simply, more than met the highest standards of duty to the nation. He excels at what he does, because he embodies the very best of this outfit--skill and loyalty, dedication and discipline, integrity and candor. He also has, if you know him, one hell of a sense of humor.
After a superb career of public service that stretches back to the mid-1970s, when Steve was in the
It was, of course, crucial to both of us that we find an outstanding successor. Today, as we celebrate the achievements of one extraordinary public servant, I am announcing the promotion of another. I have asked Michael Morell, a 30-year veteran of the Agency, to become our next Deputy Director. Michael, as many of you know, has spent much of his career in the
Michael has been part of the senior team for almost four years now. He knows the CIA from top to bottom. He understands intelligence as few others do--from collection and analysis to interaction with our customers. Michael has not only seen how the pieces fit together, he's actually brought them together. He comes to his newest task with a powerful intellect, proven leadership skills, and a deep familiarity with the ways of Washington and the world at large. Michael is someone who builds and improves, someone who takes great pride in the men and women who make this Agency the finest it can be.
Once Michael assumes his new duties, Fran Moore, Deputy Director for Intelligence, will move up to become Director for Intelligence. Fran has been in the
Three months ago, I named Stephanie O'Sullivan as our new Associate Deputy Director. After leading the
You've heard me say it before, but it's a message worth repeating: It is a real privilege for me to be your Director. As someone who's been around this town for 40 years, and has had some great jobs, I'll tell you that there is no more important mission than the one we share. More than anything else, it's the people here who make it that way--people like you, and people like those I've talked about in this note. I am extremely proud of all of you, and particularly proud of those we honor today. There is no better team to do the job of protecting the nation.
Please join me in congratulating our colleagues on these new chapters in their lives.
Leon E. Panetta
Available at Amazon.com:
Willful Neglect: The Dangerous Illusion of Homeland Security
The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA's War on Terror
The Political Fix: Changing the Game of American Democracy, from the Grassroots to the White House
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United States - CIA's Panetta Announces Kappes Retirement