fran townsend

Fran Townsend, homeland security adviser at White House, stepping down
WASHINGTON - Fran Townsend, the leading White House-based terrorism adviser who gave public updates on the extent of the threat to U.S. security, is stepping down after 4 1/2 years.

President Bush said in a statement Monday morning that Townsend, 45, "has ably guided the Homeland Security Council. She has played an integral role in the formation of the key strategies and policies my administration has used to combat terror and protect Americans."

Her departure continues an exodus of key Bush aides and confidants, with his two-term presidency in the final 15 months. Top aide Karl Rove, along with press secretary Tony Snow, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and senior presidential adviser Dan Bartlett, have already left.

"Fran always has provided wise counsel on how best to protect the American people from the threat of terrorism," the president said in his statement. "She has been a steady leader in the effort to prevent and disrupt attacks and to better respond to natural disasters."

Homeland Security Advisor, Fran Townsend speaks from the White House, in this Thursday, Feb. 23, 2006 file photo. The White House announced Bush's counterrorism adviser at the White House, Fran Townsend, has resigned. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
In her handwritten resignation letter to Bush, Townsend wrote, "It is with a profound sense of gratitude that I have decided to take a respite from public service." White House press secretary Dana Perino said Towsend struggled with the decision, talking about it with the president for months.

Townsend has told colleagues she is looking for opportunities in the private sector. For someone who at one point had figured in speculation as to who would head the then-new Department of Homeland Security or assume the newly created post of national intelligence director, she became a familiar face for the administration, often appearing on morning news and Sunday interview shows to present Bush's case.

When Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold called on Bush to refrain from using the phrase "Islamic fascists" on grounds it was offensive to Muslims, Townsend explained the president's use of the phrase.
Fran Townsend, President Bush's homeland security adviser, is joining the exodus of officials from the administration by stepping down from her post after more than 4 years.

The death toll from Thursday's cyclone in Bangladesh has risen to more than 3,000 and could soar as high as 10,000 once rescuers reach outlying islands. Reports of the mass casualties took several days to arrive in Dhaka because of downed telephone lines and washed-out roads.

Detroit could very well be America's most dangerous city, according to a new and controversial study released yesterday. The "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America," published by CQ Press, shows Detroit pushing past St. Louis, last year's winner. Critics labeled this interpretation of crime data as "an irresponsible misuse," and Detroit law enforcement said the study failed to put the statistics in proper context.

Tags: Bangladesh | Detroit | terrorism

WASHINGTON - Another top official in the Bush White House is stepping down.

The latest to go is Fran Townsend, the president's top White House-based adviser on terrorism and homeland security. There is no immediate word on a successor.

Townsend has been a familiar face in the administration, often appearing on TV news shows to argue the White House position on policy matters.

President George W. Bush issued a statement today praising Townsend for having playing an integral role in the formation of key anti-terror strategies and policies of his administration.

Her departure after 4 1/2 years continues an exodus of key Bush aides and confidants as his two-term presidency approaches its final year.

Top aide Karl Rove, along with press secretary Tony Snow and senior presidential adviser Dan Bartlett all left earlier this year.

"Fran always has provided wise counsel on how best to protect the American people from the threat of terrorism," the president said in his statement.

"She has been a steady leader in the effort to prevent and disrupt attacks and to better respond to natural disasters."