Dennis C Blair, a retired US Navy admiral is likely to be appointed by President-elect Barack Obama as the chief of country's national intelligence. According to media reports, Blair will hold the post of Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Meanwhile, Obama is yet to decide the name of new chief of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). If Blair gets appointed, he will become the top adviser to the president and the National Security Council.

 

After the appointment of the new head, the Obama administration will hand over the responsibility of managing intelligence activities and coordination among 16 agencies that comprise the US intelligence community. The officer with a 34-year Navy career is supposed have close ties with Clintons and was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University at the same time as former president Bill Clinton.

 

If appointed, Blair will be only the third director of the National Intelligence. The National Intelligence was formed in 2004 after investigations revealed intelligence failure and lack of coordination and information sharing among country's different intelligence wings prior to the 9/11 attacks. According to media, the selection of Blair might fuel tensions between civilian and military intelligence officials.