-Caveat Lector-
"Democrats rejected the argument that the Chinese Embassy bombing
stemmed from underfunding of intelligence programs.
"Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., questioned how the CIA could have erred in
planning the bombing target when his own staff was able to pull down from the
Internet the correct address of the Chinese Embassy."
House Increases CIA Budget
By JOHN DIAMOND
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Spending on intelligence gathering and analysis would
increase under a plan passed by the House, although overall funding for
intelligence would drop slightly. Lawmakers worried that tight budgets in the
past have hurt U.S. intelligence operations.
The House approved the largely classified spending plan for the CIA and 10
other intelligence-related agencies Thursday on a voice vote after
overwhelmingly defeating a measure that would have frozen the intelligence
budget at 1998 levels.
The amount of the bill is classified. But Rep. Julian Dixon, D-Calif.,
ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the total amount
is actually slightly less than this year's level. Based on previously
released figures and interviews with knowledgeable U.S. officials, the amount
sought for next year is believed to be about $27 billion.
``We have to reverse a very serious trend of decline and atrophy'' in
intelligence spending, Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., chairman of the House
Intelligence Committee, told colleagues.
Later, in a telephone interview, Goss said that this year's spending on
intelligence marked a sharp increase over 1998 and that the legislation
authorizing money for next year calls for slightly lower spending levels, it
largely sustains the increase.
In addition, changes in which government accounts are included in the
intelligence bill means that a lower total still could mean more spending on
core intelligence priorities.
The bill provides spending authority and policy guidance for the CIA,
National Security Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, Defense
Intelligence Agency and FBI, among other agencies. Much of the money in the
bill goes to costly technical intelligence programs involving satellites and
other hardware managed by the NRO and NSA.
Despite some partisan questioning of President Clinton's commitment to
improving intelligence, the measure adds less than 1 percent to the
administration's request. Debate came amid congressional attention to alleged
Chinese espionage at U.S. nuclear weapons labs and a high-profile CIA blunder
that led to the NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
The bill, which awaits Senate consideration, adds money in several
intelligence areas to address concern over these issues. The measure:
Increases money for FBI counterintelligence investigations and training.
Accepts Clinton's proposal to boost the Department of Energy's security and
counterintelligence program.
Adds money for computer security at military, intelligence and nuclear
weapons centers.
Boosts spending for foreign language training, a problem cited by a CIA
review team looking at the national security implications of Chinese
espionage.
Includes a ``substantial increase'' for CIA analysis of foreign nuclear
weapons programs, particularly in China and Russia.
Decreases the space launch and hardware budget for the NRO while adding money
on the analysis side of the intelligence community so that reams of raw
intelligence -- from satellite data to the change in address of a foreign
embassy -- can be better managed.
Rep. Michael Castle, R-Del., said there is more spy satellite imagery flowing
into U.S. intelligence centers than analysts can handle. More money is needed
for technology to intercept foreign communications and electronic signals, he
said.
``We are at risk of going deaf to the worldwide explosion of communications
technology,'' Castle said.
Democrats rejected the argument that the Chinese Embassy bombing stemmed from
underfunding of intelligence programs. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., questioned
how the CIA could have erred in planning the bombing target when his own
staff was able to pull down from the Internet the correct address of the
Chinese Embassy.
A U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that
because the CIA was not looking for the Chinese Embassy but was trying to
pinpoint a Yugoslav government facility, the error was not simply the result
of out-of-date maps.
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