Q&A: John Negroponte
We did want to ask one or two questions on current intelligence matters. North Korea has obviously been in the news. Are the North Koreans seen as a rational actor by the intel community? [Editor's note: This interview was conducted before North Korea's recent nuclear test but after its verbal threat to test.]
Well, I think, rational in the sense that it seems to be their objective to be recognized as a nuclear power. I think they see that as somehow enhancing their leverage with the international community, whereas, in fact, one of the consequences of them conducting a test and seeking to become a nuclear power is that it could have very destabilizing consequences in the very neighborhood in which they live.
In other words, other countries could follow their lead?
Well, among other things. Among other possibilities.
On Iran and Iraq, there have been reports that elements in Iran might be funneling explosive devices into Iraq. The British have also been out there saying that they can't find any evidence of that in the areas where they're operating. Can you help clarify what we know and what we don't know?
The intelligence community believes that explosively formed projectiles and the technology for that are being supplied by Iran to some of the extremist Shia elements in Iraq. I don't think we have much doubt about that. There seem to be some similarities between these roadside bombs that they're providing that are particularly lethal and the ones that the Hezbollah [militia] has used in Lebanon. We do believe there is an Iran connection here.
Iran is a pretty complex regime. Is there a sense of whether this is officially sanctioned?
This would be done through their intelligence services. But I think we just have to assume that what these services are doing is sanctioned at a political level. I think it would be a mistake to write this behavior off, if you will, or dismiss it on the grounds that it might be errant behavior by some loose cannon.
You see such a wealth of the best information about the dangers this world poses to Americans and to U.S. national security. What keeps you up at night?
It's the threats you don't know about. I've been impressed by the excellent work that's being done on gathering threat information. And I think the proof of the pudding has been in eating. There have been a number of important plots that have been disrupted, so that's good. Is there some plot that's out there that we just absolutely don't know anything about? Well, obviously that could always be the case.
But I do believe that if you do the balance sheet of how we're doing, how we've done since 9/11, we are today more vigilant, we're better prepared, [and] our intelligence has improved. I think it's the kind of improvement you'd expect after five years into this post 9/11 situation with the investments that we've put in it. So, yes, we're better prepared, and in that sense we're safer. But is there activity out there that we just simply don't know about? That's always a source of concern. And with more of these homegrown terrorist activities … the risk of that kind of activity growing and increasing in the future is there.
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