Former Top CIA Officials Recommend Different Ways to Improve U.S. Intelligence Capability

Two former CIA directors yesterday offered differing views as to how the U.S. intelligence system could be improved, according to the Washington Post (see GSN, Sept. 2).

Both John Deutch, who ran the CIA for two years during the Clinton administration, and James Schlesinger, who headed the agency during the Nixon administration, testified yesterday before a bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Post reported. Deutch recommended creating a new domestic intelligence agency to handle counterterrorism duties and giving the CIA chief more authority.

Increased centralization of authority “is the best way to improve intelligence and the safety of the American people,” Deutch said.

Schlesinger, however, cautioned against a large-scale restructuring of the U.S. intelligence system, the Post reported.

“Tinkering with the organizational structure can help, but by itself will not produce major improvement,” he said (Dan Eggen, Washington Post, Oct. 15).

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