31 July 2008
Bush Revamps U.S. Intelligence Operations
New executive order brings intelligence efforts in line with newer threats
Washington -- Reforming the U.S. intelligence community became a critical goal of President Bush following the 2001 terrorist attack on the United States.
Critics on the 9/11 Commission argued that shortcomings in the structure and function of the intelligence community may have hampered efforts to thwart the terrorist attack that killed approximately 3,000 people in New York City, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon in Virginia.
As a consequence of those 9/11 Commission hearings and actions by the White House, reform efforts focused on the long-term goal of coordinating intelligence-gathering efforts and greater information sharing among the 16 federal agencies that comprise the intelligence community along with the centralized leadership provided by the newly created post of director of national intelligence. The 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act created a more unified, integrated and collaborative community.
On July 31, President Bush issued a revised executive order that implements the provisions of the 2004 law, specifies enhanced rules for intelligence operations and strengthens the authority of the national intelligence director.
"The revised executive order emphasizes the increased importance of protecting the United States from terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "Implementation of the revised executive order will help create an intelligence community that is more unified, shares information more freely, effectively coordinates its actions, and collaborates more closely to provide policymakers the support needed to make difficult decisions affecting our national and homeland security."
Executive Order 12333, which originally was issued by President Reagan in 1981, lays out the responsibilities of the 16 agencies, some of which are part of the U.S. armed forces. It also maintains a long-held prohibition on assassination and on using humans for scientific experiments.
The order gives the national intelligence director, a position created in 2005, authority to set the goals for intelligence gathering by federal agencies and to guide intelligence relationships with foreign governments.
Much of the goal setting now given to the national intelligence director had been a responsibility of the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA now has the responsibility for coordinating intelligence collection from human sources abroad and managing foreign intelligence relationships. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has responsibility for intelligence collection within the United States.
Perino said the revised executive order strengthens existing protections for American's civil liberties and privacy rights.
"It also renews the original order's charge that all 'reasonable and lawful means' are to be used to ensure that our nation receives the best possible intelligence," Perino said.
