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Bush Calls for New Intelligence Director
Bush Seeks New National Intelligence Chief to Advise President, First Step in Post-9/11 Reform
WASHINGTON Aug. 2, 2004 â AP
President Bush on Monday endorsed creation of a national intelligence czar and counterterrorism center his first steps in revamping the nation's intelligence-gathering system to help prevent a repeat of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"We are a nation in danger," Bush said as he announced his position during an appearance with top administration national security figures in the White House Rose Garden.
Bush thus embraced, with some changes, two key recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission, which outlined lapses in intelligence that left America vulnerable to the attacks.
The bipartisan panel's most overarching recommendations in a 567-page report were for creation of a counterterrorism center, which the commission envisions as a joint operational planning and intelligence center staffed by personnel from all the spy agencies, and a national intelligence czar.
The chairman of the Sept. 11 commission, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, and former Rep. Lee Hamilton have insisted that the center and the national intelligence director position be placed in the executive office of the president to give the White House clout in dealing with all the nation's intelligence agencies. Bush said he wants them set up outside the White House.
"I don't think the person should be a member of my Cabinet," Bush said. "I will hire the preson and I can fire the person. ... I don't think that the office should be in the White House, however, I think it should be a stand-alone group to better coordinate."
Intelligence reforms to help thwart a repeat of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 took on special urgency with the announcement Sunday by authorities that they had uncovered a plot by the al-Qaida terror network to attack five prominent financial institutions in New York City, Washington and Newark, N.J.
"The work of security in this vast nation is not done," Bush said. "The elevation of the threat level in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., is a serious reminder a solemn reminder of the threat we continue to face." | 