Cheney Opposed Establishing National Intelligence Director as Defense Secretary in 1992

In 1992, then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney opposed the creation of a national intelligence director with full budgetary authority over the intelligence community, including those agencies operated by the U.S. Defense Department, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Aug. 5)

The creation of such an intelligence post was one of the major reform proposals recommended last month by the Sept. 11 commission. While President George W. Bush has publicly backed the proposal, the White House supports a national intelligence director with less authority than envisioned by the commission.

In 1992, when both houses of Congress were considering legislation to create a national intelligence director, Cheney told then-House Armed Services Committee Chairman Les Aspin that he would urge a presidential veto on the bills as written. Cheney wrote that such a director would “seriously impair” relations between the head of the CIA and the defense secretary, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Federation of American Scientists (Associated Press/Los Angeles Times, Aug. 6).

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