Intelligence director briefs on global threat
WASHINGTON - In his first public testimony to Congress as national intelligence director, John Negroponte was testifying Thursday before a Senate committee where questioning was likely to cover a lot of ground — from al-Qaida and the Iraq insurgency to the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s annual worldwide threats hearing will also give lawmakers their first chance to grill intelligence leaders publicly about President Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program at the National Security Agency.
Approved by Bush, the program allows the agency to monitor — without warrants — the communications of people inside the country whose calls or e-mails may be linked to al-Qaida.
Up to now, only eight members of Congress have been officially apprised of its existence.
Warrantless eavesdropping on U.S. citizens has raised an outcry from Democrats and some Republicans who question whether Bush overstepped his authority.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will examine the program’s legal basis at a Monday hearing featuring testimony from U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
New format: One analysis
In years past, the heads of the CIA, FBI and Defense Intelligence Agency have offered their own independent analysis on global and domestic threats to the intelligence committee. Providing a stark reminder that Negroponte is now in charge, he decided to change the format and deliver one unified assessment for the 15 U.S. spy agencies.
The heads of other intelligence agencies, including CIA Director Porter Goss and FBI Director Robert Mueller, were also in attendance to take questions from senators.
Thursday’s session marked Negroponte’s first appearance in an open congressional session since his confirmation hearings in April.
The former U.S. ambassador to Iraq is the nation’s first national intelligence director, charged with overseeing everything from highly technical eavesdropping from space to old-fashioned spying. The job was created by post-Sept. 11 congressional reforms.
Estimates and other figures made public indicate that more than $40 billion each year goes to that work. The exact figure is classified.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s annual worldwide threats hearing will also give lawmakers their first chance to grill intelligence leaders publicly about President Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program at the National Security Agency.
Approved by Bush, the program allows the agency to monitor — without warrants — the communications of people inside the country whose calls or e-mails may be linked to al-Qaida.
Up to now, only eight members of Congress have been officially apprised of its existence.
Warrantless eavesdropping on U.S. citizens has raised an outcry from Democrats and some Republicans who question whether Bush overstepped his authority.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will examine the program’s legal basis at a Monday hearing featuring testimony from U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
New format: One analysis
In years past, the heads of the CIA, FBI and Defense Intelligence Agency have offered their own independent analysis on global and domestic threats to the intelligence committee. Providing a stark reminder that Negroponte is now in charge, he decided to change the format and deliver one unified assessment for the 15 U.S. spy agencies.
The heads of other intelligence agencies, including CIA Director Porter Goss and FBI Director Robert Mueller, were also in attendance to take questions from senators.
Thursday’s session marked Negroponte’s first appearance in an open congressional session since his confirmation hearings in April.
The former U.S. ambassador to Iraq is the nation’s first national intelligence director, charged with overseeing everything from highly technical eavesdropping from space to old-fashioned spying. The job was created by post-Sept. 11 congressional reforms.
Estimates and other figures made public indicate that more than $40 billion each year goes to that work. The exact figure is classified.
posted by Marko at 2/02/2006 09:12:00 AM
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