Head of Transportation Security Administration resigns

WASHINGTON (AP) -- John Magaw, the head of the Transportation Security Administration, resigned Thursday. No reason was given for his resignation.

Magaw will be replaced by Adm. James Loy, who recently retired as commandant of the Coast Guard and then was named deputy undersecretary for transportation security and chief operating officer of the TSA.

"John Magaw is a dedicated public servant with a lifetime of achievement in the law enforcement field and we all owe him a debt for his role in the start-up phase of TSA," Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said in accepting Magaw's resignation.

Magaw was a former head of the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He spearheaded the Transportation Department's efforts to meet a Nov. 19 deadline for replacing private screeners at airport checkpoints with an all-federal work force, and a Dec. 31 deadline for inspecting all checked bags for explosives.

He also made the decision not to allow pilots to carry firearms. The House last week voted to arm pilots.

Mineta praised Magaw's successor, saying Loy "has amply demonstrated his ability to motivate and manage a large federal agency when he was commandant of the Coast Guard."

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Transportation Security Administration: http://www.tsa.dot.gov