Washington: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director George Tenet has resigned following criticism for the failures in intelligence over the Iraq war and September 11 attacks.

President George W Bush announced that Tenet has offered his resignation at a meeting in the White House on Wednesday night (Jun 2, 2004) for "personal reasons".

"He told me he was resigning for personal reasons. I told him I'm sorry he's leaving. He's done a superb job on behalf of the American people," Bush said at a press conference yesterday (Jun 3, 2004).

"He has been a strong and able leader at the agency. He's been a strong leader in the war on terror. And I will miss him."

Tenet, who was appointed by then President Bill Clinton in 1997, will serve until mid July. Bush said that Deputy CIA Director John McLaughlin will temporarily lead America's premier spy agency until a successor is found.

Addressing CIA staff, Tenet said that his departure was for "the well being of my wonderful family, nothing more nothing less. I am now going to be a great dad".

"I did not make this decision quickly or easily, but I know in my heart that the time is right to move on to the next phase of our lives," Tenet said.

Tenet has been under attack over the intelligence used to justify the Iraq invasion and warnings before the September 11 attacks.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller praised Tenet and said he had "transformed that agency".

"In my experience in working with him, he has sought at every turn to bridge the gap between the CIA and the FBI and he has always been concerned about one thing and one goal and one goal only, and that is the safety of the American public," Mueller told a Congressional panel.

Meanwhile, the US State Department said that Secretary of State Colin Powell's disappointment over misleading Iraq intelligence had nothing to do with Tenet's resignation.

"Don't make a link between the two," Deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

Powell told NBC News May 17 that the CIA had provided false information used in his February 5, 2003 presentation before the UN Security Council to convince its members to go to war against Iraq.

"It turned out that the sourcing was inaccurate and wrong and in some cases, deliberately misleading," Powell said on 'Meet the Press'. "And for that I am disappointed and I regret it."

The CIA also denied that Tenet's resignation was connected with any intelligence issues.

"Absolutely not," said Mark Mansfield, CIA spokesman.