NSA confirms that Gen. Keith Alexander will step down as the agency’s director in the spring of 2014. Alexander’s departure comes amid continuing public and congressional turmoil over the NSA’s surveillance activities. Alexander has been the face of the controversy over dragnet surveillance practices by U.S. intelligence agencies. Whoever replaces Alexander will likely spend a long time handling the congressional backlash from Snowden’s revelations, analyst says. Former NSA executives say Alexander was dispirited and angry over a perceived lack of support from the White House.”]