Counterterrorism acting exec fired, sources say

The acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Russell Travers, was fired Wednesday by acting head of national intelligence Richard Grenell, according to a former official, who like others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Insiders fear that the move is part of a purge by the Trump administration of career professionals at an organization set up after 9/11 to protect the nation from attacks, according to two former U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

Travers, a career professional with more than 40 years of government service, accepted the acting director position in August and has been resistant to pressure to make personnel cuts at the center, which has been undergoing a review of its mission and effectiveness.

Also removed at the center was Travers’ acting deputy, Peter Hall, who is said to be returning to the National Security Agency, according to the two individuals, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

The surprise move came hours after President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Pentagon special operations and counterterrorism official Christopher Miller to head the National Counterterrorism Center. The removals have shocked Travers’ colleagues who are upset at the treatment of someone so well-regarded, according to the two former officials.

Officials at the center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As the threat from al-Qaida and the Islamic State has diminished in recent years, intelligence community officials have been debating whether the National Counterterrorism Center, which is the largest component of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, needs to be as large as it is.

The center has more than 900 personnel.

Travers, who began his career as an Army intelligence officer in 1978, took the acting director position in August when the center’s then-director Joseph Maguire was tapped to become acting director of national intelligence. Maguire was fired by Trump last month amid a controversy over a briefing given by a subordinate on Russian threats to the 2020 election.

The president named Grenell to serve as acting director of national intelligence until a permanent director is confirmed.