>>Canavan was forced to leave the FAA for refusing to put sky-marshals on planes with government VIPs, as part of a post 9-11 publicity stunt. Canavan refused, as it would only make the planes targets. FBI or U.S. Marshals were already available for protection, without the publicity.<<
Yep, here's an account from USA Today:
10/11/2001 - Updated 05:59 PM ET
FAA security chief quits over assignment
By Blake Morrison and Alan Levin, USA TODAY
The Federal Aviation Administration's security chief resigned in protest after telling top FAA officials he would not reassign air marshals to flights that members of President Bush's Cabinet took Sept. 28, USA TODAY has learned. Michael Canavan's decision to quit came shortly after Bush announced that nine Cabinet members would take commercial flights to show the nation that flying was safe. Administration officials had decided that sending large security details on the flights was unworkable. But because the trips were announced publicly, they worried the flights could be terrorist targets and decided to put marshals aboard.
In the next few days, Canavan, a retired army lieutenant general, changed his mind about quitting. But by then, sources say, top FAA officials had lost confidence in him because of his actions during a crisis.
The agency announced his departure Friday. A statement issued by the FAA said only that Canavan and Administrator Jane Garvey "mutually agreed" to part ways. Garvey appointed him in December. He will stay on until late October or early November.
Some sources say Canavan, who declined to comment, still does not want to leave. Others say he eventually agreed, in part because Congress is moving to create a new agency for aviation security separate from the FAA. In addition, some at the agency say they were troubled by what they considered his difficulty adapting after a career in the military.
Even so, his departure underscores intense pressures within the FAA about how security should be handled in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "A lot of people are looking to leave the agency," said one FAA security official who requested anonymity.
Canavan's decision to quit came after he argued that marshals had been assigned to flights that presented more of a risk of hijacking than those Cabinet members were to fly. After reluctantly agreeing to shift the marshals, he changed his mind. He told FAA officials that if he were overruled, he would quit, sources say.
Canavan's objections were "politically foolish but sound" from a security standpoint, said an FAA official with knowledge of the program.
Marshals fly incognito, at least two to a flight, and are trained to handle hijackings. Because the force is small — until the Sept. 11 hijackings, there were fewer than 100 — they are assigned to flights authorities believe are at the greatest risk of hijacking.