I said that I was available to serve as long as until the end of January, if the President wishes, in order to assist in a transition. Serving as DCI has been a privilege and an honor and I remain grateful to President Clinton for the opportunity to be part of his Administration. In making the decision to return to the private sector, however, my family figures prominently. For their patience and understanding in the face of lost evenings, weekends and holidays, it is time for recompense.
Intelligence remains vital to our national security.
We have taken major steps in the last two years to reshape American intelligence and ensure that the CIA and the intelligence community can support the President, his policymakers, military commanders, and the Congress with intelligence of the highest quality well into the next century. As the Administration and Congress review the community, I intend to continue to contribute to the discussion of its roles and missions in the years ahead. Finally, I am grateful for the opportunity to have served with the exceptional men and women of the intelligence community and of the Central Intelligence Agency in particular. Their patriotism, dedication, pride, skill, and unpublicized achievements are hallmarks of the finest qualities and accomplishments of the federal service. They continue to be central to the nation's security.