US: The top two officials at the CIA's clandestine unit have resigned after clashing with the new management of the agency.
Mr Stephen Kappes, deputy director for operations, and his deputy Mr Michael Sulick submitted their resignations and a senior covert officer will take charge of the directorate of operations, CIA director Mr Porter Goss said in a statement.
"There will be no gap in our operations fighting the global war on terror, nor in any of our other vital activities," he said.
The resignations came two months after Mr Goss took charge with a mandate to reform the spy agency which has been under fire for intelligence failures related to the September 11th attacks and flawed pre-war reports that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
Intelligence sources said the two officials resigned from the directorate of operations, the powerful unit that recruits foreign spies and conducts covert operations overseas, after confrontations with Mr Goss's chief of staff, Mr Patrick Murray.
Mr Murray has faced criticism in the agency for what is seen as an abrasive style and lack of respect for senior officers.
Critics say while Mr Goss, as the new spy chief has every right to make changes, he is not communicating his intentions clearly and directly.
Instead, he has delegated too much power to his senior advisers who came with him from Capitol Hill.
The disagreements between Mr Murray and Mr Kappes and Mr Sulick were seen as mainly a clash of personalities rather than policies.
Mr Kappes is credited with convincing Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy to give up his weapons of mass destruction programmes. - (Reuters)