    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [March 31, 2005]
    [Pages 541-543]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Prior to a Briefing on the Findings of the Commission on the
    Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass
    Destruction
    March 31, 2005

    Death of Theresa Marie Schiavo

        Today millions of Americans are saddened by the death of Terri
    Schiavo. Laura and I extend our condolences to
    Terri Schiavo's families. I appreciate the example of grace and dignity
    they have displayed at a difficult time. I urge all those who honor
    Terri Schiavo to continue to work to build a culture of life, where all
    Americans are welcomed and valued and protected, especially those who
    live at the mercy of others.
        The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to
    protect the weak. In cases where there are serious doubts and questions,
    the presumption should be in the favor of life.

    Intelligence Capabilities

        The most solemn duty of the American President is to protect the
    American people. Since September the 11th, 2001, we've taken bold and
    vigorous steps to prevent further attacks and overcome emerging threats.
    We face a new and different kind of enemy. The threats today are
    unprecedented. The lives of our citizens are at stake. To protect them,
    we need the best intelligence possible, and we must stay ahead of
    constantly changing intelligence challenges.

        So last year I issued an Executive order creating an independent
    Commission to look at America's intelligence capabilities, especially
    our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction. I asked two fine
    Americans to chair this Commission, Judge Laurence Silberman and former Senator Chuck Robb. They have done an excellent job. I appreciate
    your service to our country.

        I also want to thank the other members of the Commission, Senator
    John McCain, Rick Levin, Harry Rowen, Walt
    Slocombe, Bill Studeman, Judge Patricia Wald,
    Chuck Vest, and Lloyd Cutler. I want to thank them for their hard work. They spent a
    lot of time on this project. I asked these distinguished individuals to
    give me an unvarnished look at our intelligence community, and they have
    delivered.

        This morning the Commission presented me with their recommendations,
    which are thoughtful and extremely significant. The central conclusion
    is one that I share: America's intelligence community needs fundamental
    change to enable us to successfully confront the threats of the 21st
    century.

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        My administration has taken steps consistent with the Commission's
    recommendations. In February, I named John Negroponte the first Director of National Intelligence, a post that
    was created to help ensure that our intelligence community works as a
    single, unified enterprise. It's important for Congress to move quickly
    on John's confirmation, because he'll have a key role in the continued
    reform and restructuring of intelligence capabilities.
        Today I've directed Homeland Secretary Adviser Fran
    Townsend to oversee the interagency
    process, to review the Commission's findings, and to ensure that
    concrete action is taken. The Commission report delivers a sharp
    critique of the way intelligence has been collected and analyzed against
    some of the most difficult intelligence targets, especially Iraq.
        To win the war on terror, we will correct what needs to be fixed and
    build on what the Commission calls solid intelligence successes. These
    include the uncovering of Libya's nuclear and missile programs. In
    Pakistan, our intelligence helped expose and shut down the world's most
    dangerous nuclear proliferation network. Where we have had success, the
    Commission reports we have seen innovative collection techniques and a
    fusion of interagency intelligence capabilities. We must work to
    replicate these successes in other areas.
        The men and women of our intelligence community work hard, and the
    sacrifices they have made have helped protect America. And our Nation is
    grateful for their hard work. The work they're doing is critical. We
    need to prevent terrorists from getting their hands on the weapons of
    mass murder they would like to use against our citizens.
        The work of our intelligence community is extremely difficult work.
    Every day, dangerous regimes are working to prevent us from uncovering
    their programs and their possible relationships with terrorists. And the
    work our intelligence men and women do is, by nature, secret, which is
    why the American people never hear about many of their successes. I'm
    proud of the efforts of our intelligence workers, and I'm proud of their
    commitment to the security of our country. And the American people
    should be proud too.
        And that's why this report is important. It will enable these fine
    men and women to do their jobs in better fashion, to be able to more
    likely accomplish their mission, which is to protect the American
    people. And that's why I'm grateful to the Commission for this hard
    work.
        The President and his national security team must have intelligence
    that is timely and intelligence that is accurate. In their report today,
    the Commission points out that America needs to know much more about the
    weapons programs and intentions of our most dangerous adversaries. They
    have given us useful and important guidance that will help us transform
    our intelligence capabilities for the needs of a dangerous new century.
        In other words, we need to adjust. We need to understand the threats
    and adjust our capabilities to meet those threats. We will work to give
    our intelligence professionals the tools they need. Our collection and
    analysis of intelligence will never be perfect, but in an age where our
    margin for error is getting smaller, in an age in which we are at war,
    the consequences of underestimating a threat could be tens of thousands
    of innocent lives. And my administration will continue to make
    intelligence reforms that will allow us to identify threats before they
    fully emerge so we can take effective action to protect the American
    people.
        I'm grateful for your hard work. And now the Chairman of the Commission and the Cochairman of the Commission have agreed to answer
    your questions.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:31 a.m. in Room 450 of the Dwight D.
    Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The Office of the

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    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these
    remarks.