Amid reports that President Barack Obama had demanded his resignation, U. S. Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said on Thursday he will resign the post.

The president has been interviewing possible successors for weeks, unhappy with U. S. intelligence operations under Blair, including episodes such as the Fort Hood, Texas, massacre, the failed Christmas Day attempt to bomb a passenger jet and the failed attempt to detonate a car bomb in New York's Times Square, ABC News has reported.

Blair offered his resignation Thursday and the president accepted it, the report has said.

According to ABC, Blair said in a statement, "It is with deep regret that I informed the President today that I will step down as Director of National Intelligence effective Friday, May 28."

The director of national intelligence is responsible for coordinating the work of 16 U. S. intelligence agencies.

ABC, citing a source it did not identify, said the major reason for Blair's departure was that the White House and the National Security Staff were dissatisfied with the manner in which the intelligence agencies shared intelligence.

ABC also reported that the official said Blair's briefings to the president and the National Security Staff were sometimes irrelevant to what Obama was focusing on or were otherwise not well presented.

"We have been interviewing several strong candidates to be (Blair's) replacement," an administration official who did not wish to be named told The New York Times.

Blair "has a remarkable record of service to the United States, and I am grateful for his leadership as Director of National Intelligence," Obama said in a statement issued by the White House. (With inputs from Agencies)