|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Acting CIA Director Did Not Speak for Bush on Possible Intelligence “Czar,” White House Says
Acting CIA Director John McLaughlin was not speaking for President George W. Bush when he said Sunday that it was unnecessary to create a national director of intelligence, the White House said yesterday (see GSN, July 19). “The president is very much open to ideas that build upon the reforms that we’re already implementing,” White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. “I think (McLaughlin) was expressing his view,” he added. McClellan also denied recent media reports that Bush might delay naming a permanent CIA director until after the 2004 presidential election. Bush himself said yesterday that he is “still taking a good, hard look” at possible replacements for former CIA Director George Tenet. Bush also said that he was looking forward to the report set to be released later this week by the Sept. 11 commission, which is expected to call for the creation of a national director of intelligence, among other intelligence reforms. “They share the same desires I share, which is to make sure that the president and the Congress get the best possible intelligence,” Bush said. “Some of the reforms, I think, are necessary: more human intelligence, better ability to listen or to see things, and better coordination amongst the variety of intelligence-gathering services,” he said. “And so we’ll look at all their recommendations, and I will comment upon that, having studied what they say,” Bush added (Chen/Miller, Los Angeles Times, July 20).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
