[JURIST] AP is reporting that Porter Goss [official profile], director of the US Central Intelligence Agency [official website] has resigned. Goss, a former CIA and Army intelligence officer who chaired the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence while a member of Congress, was nominated and approved by the Senate [JURIST reports] to head the CIA in 2004.

During Goss' tenure as CIA director, the intelligence agency has come under fire for using interrogation techniques that could be construed as torture when questioning detainees. Last fall, Goss insisted that the CIA does not engage in torture [JURIST report] when interrogating detainees and said that interrogators strictly obey torture laws [JURIST report] when trying to obtain information from prisoners. The CIA has also come under scrutiny for allegations [JURIST report] that it has operated secret prisons in Europe and claims that US rendition [JURIST news archive] policies allow the transfer of terror suspects to countries known to use torture. AP has more.

3:09 PM ET - Announcing the resignation Friday afternoon, Bush praised Goss as having ably led the agency, saying:

He's got a five-year plan to increase the number of analysts and operatives, which is going to help make this country a safer place and help us win the war on terror. He's instilled a sense of professionalism. He honors the proud history of the CIA, an organization that is known for its secrecy and accountability.