Bush adviser on US security resigns

Fran Townsend joins a list of other recent high-profile White House departures.

George Bush US president
Bush said Townsend "always provided wise counsel" but gave no reason for her departure [EPA]

Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales, another member of Bush’s inner circle, resigned under pressure in August.
 
Bush said in a statement that Townsend “has always provided wise counsel on how to best protect the American people from the threat of terrorism”.
 
“She has been a steady leader in the effort to prevent and disrupt attacks and to better respond to natural disasters,” the president said, giving no reason for her departure.
 
Townsend, who served four and a half years in a post created after attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, had also been a prosecutor in New York and deputy national security adviser.

Source: News Agencies