Remaking U.S. Intelligence - Part VII: The Future
Every morning at 8:00, DNI chief Negroponte walks into the Oval Office and briefs President Bush on the latest intelligence. "I believe what I can bring to the community is a sense of what our most important customer is interested in," Negroponte says. But the president is more than just a customer; his political backing will be essential to the success of the DNI's reform efforts. Bush was initially reluctant to support the creation of the DNI office, which was pushed by Congress, and the depth of his commitment remains untested.
Negroponte and his top aides will need all the help they can get. Sooner, rather than later, the DNI's relationship with the Pentagon will be tested. Congress may lose patience if reforms don't take hold quickly. "You can't just hide behind these Washington clichés that this is a work in progress," says Rep. Mac Thornberry, the Texas Republican who chairs a House intelligence subcommittee, which in July issued a report calling for the DNI to be more aggressive. "I don't think Negroponte has taken full advantage of his authorities."
The reforms could also be derailed by allegations that some of the nation's spying efforts have gone too far. Already, the complaints about warrantless eavesdropping and abuse in secret cia prisons have complicated the DNI's job.
As the nation's top intelligence official, can John Negroponte keep America safe? The veteran diplomat knows better than just about anyone what a tall order that is. But he and his staff have made a promising start—and, remarkably, encountered an apparent willingness to embark on the necessary reforms. "I expected resistance finding a parking place. I expected knives and daggers coming at me," says Meyerrose, the IT chief. "What I found instead were a lot of people with pent-up frustration that said we need some change." In an era of so many lethal and rapidly shifting threats, much will depend on whether that change comes fast enough.
advertisement
