Senior CIA Official Says Rumsfeld 'Absolutely Wrong' On Intel Reform

Defense Information and Electronics Report | April 26, 2002 | Hampton Stephens

[Stand Watch Listen]

A senior CIA official this week said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is "absolutely wrong" to oppose placing all components of the intelligence community -- including those now under the authority of the Pentagon -- under the centralized control of the director of central intelligence.

James Simon, assistant director of central intelligence for administration, said he supports a recommendation advanced by retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, head of the president's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, to transfer the National Security Agency, National Imagery and Mapping Agency, and National Reconnaissance Office from the purview of DOD to direct DCI control.

"Brent Scowcroft generally had it right, the secretary of defense has it absolutely wrong," Simon told attendees of the an "E-Gov" conference in Washington, DC, April 23. "The fact of the matter is, if you're going to fix intelligence there's got to be somebody who can direct changes and make it stick."

Though Scowcroft's report is classified, media reports last November said it recommended shifting authority over the Pentagon intelligence agencies to the DCI. Following that report, Rumsfeld made statements opposing such a change; he has reiterated that opposition in recent comments to the press.

Rumsfeld told The Washington Post earlier this month that it is important to maintain multiple sources of intelligence information. Rumsfeld added that he doubted Scowcroft's recommendation would be enacted.

Simon's comments come as a joint congressional committee prepares for hearings on intelligence reform. The committee is expected to address a range of intelligence issues -- from proper levels of funding for various collection methods to possible administrative reorganization -- and recommend measures for reform, according to congressional sources.

"Among the purposes of this joint effort is ascertaining why the intelligence community did not learn of the Sept. 11 attacks in advance, and to identify what, if anything, might be done to better the position of the intelligence community to warn of and prevent future terrorist attacks and other threats of the 21st century," the House and Senate intelligence committees stated in a February joint release. "The committees may seek to legislate changes to remedy systemic deficiencies by the joint inquiry."

Past committee publications indicate lawmakers are sympathetic to the idea of some kind of intelligence community reorganization.

"Today's intelligence structure is not suitable to address current and future challenges," states the report on the fiscal year 2002 Intelligence Authorization Act.

Echoing the sentiments of most advocates for increasing the DCI's authority, Simon said the lack of sufficient central budgetary and personnel authority in the intelligence community hinders coordination of resources.

"Our current system does not give the DCI budgetary authority or . . . authority over personnel," Simon said. To pursue serious reform the intelligence community must "have a single authority that knows what the objective is and can pursue it."

A Congressional Research Service report on intelligence issues earlier this year said institutional inertia has historically limited the DCI's ability to exercise even the limited authority that position is granted under law.

"By law, the Director of Central Intelligence, currently George Tenet, has the authority to set priorities and propose budgets for all agencies in the U.S. intelligence community," the report states. "In reality, however, most DCIs have concentrated most of the attention to the one agency over which they have direct control, the CIA, and have limited their attempts to exert managerial control of other intelligence agencies."

Despite this history, Simon believes achieving greater central control of the intelligence community is possible.

"Our system of government can be adapted to that purpose and I hope we'll find a way to do it," he said.

-- Hampton Stephens

[cake_crumb]

Sounds like another lovely vision without a plan.

I'll back Rummy on this one.

[FryingPan101]

Rummy is NEVER "absolutely wrong" about anything.

[politeia]

It is never "intelligent" to put all your eggs in one basket -- especially a CIA one. And if we value freedom we should never move to centralize power (and knowledge is power) even more than it is now. We should move to spread it out as much as possible and distribute it down to the lowest levels available.