Obama said to OK NSA nominee

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has signed off on the nomination of Vice Adm. Michael Rogers to lead the National Security Agency and the Pentagon’s cyberwarfare organization, according to sources familiar with the decision.

In an unusual move, Obama himself interviewed Rogers last week, in a reflection of the job’s high profile as the agency has drawn fire for the scope of its surveillance practices.

White House spokesman Caitlin Hayden declined to comment, but people familiar with the matter said an announcement is expected soon.

Rogers, a Navy cryptologist, has long been seen as the front-runner to succeed Gen. Keith Alexander, who has been the agency’s director since 2005. Alexander, who will retire March 14, is the longest-serving agency head. He is also the first commander of U.S. Cyber Command, which was started in 2009.

Rogers, whose Navy career spans more than 30 years, is “uniquely qualified” to take on the job, said Terry Roberts, a former naval intelligence official who worked with Rogers when he served as a special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and director of intelligence. She cited his background in intelligence and his experience heading Fleet Cyber Command, the Navy unit that works for U.S. Cyber Command.

Rogers understands signals intelligence and cyberattack operations, as well as the intelligence needs for the military and civilian agencies, Roberts said. He “is the kind of leader who will embrace the challenge of defining the optimal balance for the NSA between security, privacy and freedom in the digital age,” she said.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to question him on issues related to cyberoperations and the National Security Agency.

Rogers has regularly briefed top military and civilian leaders at the Pentagon. He has been involved in cyberdefense and offense policy issues as head of Fleet Cyber Command. But he has not had to defend the nation’s largest intelligence agency against charges of violating surveillance and privacy laws and the Constitution.

Last month, Obama decided not to split the leadership of the National Security Agency and Cyber Command, which officials have advocated, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Obama also opted not to end the 62-year tradition of having a uniformed officer as the director.

Alexander, who supported Rogers as his successor, has long argued that Cyber Command and the agency need to be under one leader and closely linked, because the military cybermission depends heavily on the agency’s networks and capabilities.

Some military cyberpersonnel say that Cyber Command will never fully mature as an organization unless the leadership roles are split.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 01/26/2014

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