WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- The man who heads the new section of the FBI devoted to national security is retiring after nearly 30 years with the bureau.
Executive Assistant Director Gary Bald will step down on June 2, 2006, after just ten months in the new post, the FBI said in a statement Thursday.
Since August last year, Bald has headed up the National Security Branch of the FBI, which brings together its spy-catchers, counter-terror specialists and intelligence analysts. The branch was put together last year in response to the recommendations of the presidential commission that investigated U.S. intelligence failures in the run up to the Iraq invasion.
"Throughout his career, Gary has shown tremendous leadership, vision, and grace under pressure," said FBI Director Robert Mueller in the statement. "He has helped to shape the Bureau in important ways... I am pleased with the progress we have made under his leadership."
Mueller said the bureau would "move quickly to fill the important position" Bald was leaving.
Bald began his Bureau career in 1977 in the Laboratory Division. He led the internal investigation into the James "Whitey" Bulger corruption and misconduct case in Boston. He was Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office from September 2002 until November 2003, overseeing the FBI's efforts in the Washington-area sniper investigation.
He was assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division and then the executive assistant director for counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence 2004-2005, before being selected to head the new National Security Branch last year.
In the statement, Bald said, "The decision to leave the Bureau after almost 29 years was a difficult one, but weighing our progress on implementation of the NSB as well as family considerations, I decided that now is a good time for the transition."
