NSA head steps down

Gen. Keith Alexander stepped down from the leadership of the National Security Agency (NSA).

In a ceremony at the agency’s Fort Meade (MD) headquarters, Gen Alexander formally relinquished control of the agency after a nearly nine-year tenure and nearly 40-year military career. The NSA chief has become a divisive figure in recent months, after revelations from former agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed details about the government’s snooping operations. Critics have claimed that he has tried to withhold information from the American people and has overseen unconstitutional operations that spy on the public. He said that Snowden’s leaks “will haunt him for the rest of his life.”