[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 32 (Monday, August 9, 2004)]
[Pages 1423-1429]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Intelligence Reform and an Exchange with Reporters

August 2, 2004

    The President. Thanks for coming. I appreciate the members of my 
administration joining me. Thank you all for being here.
    My most solemn duty is to protect our country. It's our most solemn 
duty as well. In the 3 years since our country was attacked, we've taken 
steps to overcome new threats. We will continue to do everything in our 
power to defeat the terrorist enemy and to protect the American people.
    Recently, the Commission on the Terrorist Attacks Upon the United 
States came to a conclusion that I share, that our country is safer than 
it was on September the 11th, 2001, yet we're still not safe. The 
Commission members have worked hard and served

[[Page 1424]]

our country well. I speak for all Americans in thanking them for their 
fine work.
    Their recommendations are thoughtful and valuable. My administration 
has already taken numerous actions consistent with the Commission's 
recommendations. Today we're taking additional steps.
    Our Government's actions against the terrorist threat accelerated 
dramatically after the attacks on the country. Across the world, we've 
aggressively pursued Al Qaida terrorists, destroyed their training 
camps, and ended their sanctuaries. We're working closely with other 
countries to gather intelligence and make arrests and to cut off the 
terrorist's finances.
    We've created a new unified Department of Homeland Security and gave 
it resources and the authority to defend America. We're employing the 
latest equipment and know-how to secure our borders, our air and sea 
ports, and infrastructure. We're bringing the best technologies to bear 
against the threat of chemical and biological warfare. Project BioShield 
will fund cutting-edge drugs and other defenses against a biological, 
chemical, nuclear, or radiological attack.
    To track terrorists and disrupt their cells and seize their assets, 
we're using the tools of the PATRIOT Act. Congress needs to extend this 
important law. Congress needs to make sure law enforcement have the 
tools necessary to defend the country. We've transformed the FBI to 
focus on the prevention of terrorist attacks. We're continuing to expand 
and strengthen the capabilities of the Central Intelligence Agency. We 
established the Terrorist Threat Integration Center to merge and 
analyze, in a single place, foreign and domestic intelligence on global 
terror.
    Yet, the work of securing this vast Nation is not done. The 
elevation of the threat level in New York and New Jersey and Washington, 
DC, is a serious reminder, a solemn reminder, of the threat we continue 
to face. All the institutions of our Government must be fully prepared 
for a struggle against terror that will last into the future. Our goal 
is an integrated, unified national intelligence effort. Therefore, my 
administration will continue moving forward with additional changes to 
the structure and organization of our intelligence agencies.
    Many of these changes are specific recommendations of the 9/11 
Commission. Others will go further than the proposal of the Commission's 
report. All these reforms have a single goal: We will ensure that the 
people in Government responsible for defending America and countering 
terrorism have the best possible information to make the best decisions.
    Today I'm asking Congress to create the position of a National 
Intelligence Director. That person--the person in that office will be 
appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, 
and will serve at the pleasure of the President. The National 
Intelligence Director will serve as the President's principal 
intelligence adviser and will oversee and coordinate the foreign and 
domestic activities of the intelligence community. Under this 
reorganization, the CIA will be managed by a separate Director. The 
National Intelligence Director will assume the broader responsibility of 
leading the intelligence community across our Government.
    I want, and every President must have, the best, unbiased, 
unvarnished assessment of America's intelligence professionals. Creating 
the position of the National Intelligence Director will require a 
substantial revision of the 1947 National Security Act. I look forward 
to working with the Members of Congress to move ahead on this important 
reform.
    The 9/11 Commission also made several recommendations about 
Congress, itself. I strongly agree with the Commission's recommendation 
that oversight and intelligence--oversight of intelligence and of the 
homeland security must be restructured and made more effective. There 
are too many committees with overlapping jurisdiction, which wastes time 
and makes it difficult for meaningful oversight and reform.
    Today I also announce that we will establish a National 
Counterterrorism Center. This new center will build on the analytical 
work--the really good analytical work--of the Terrorist Threat 
Integration Center and will become our Government's knowledge bank for 
information about known and suspected terrorists. The new center will 
coordinate and monitor counterterrorism plans and

[[Page 1425]]

activities of all Government agencies and departments to ensure 
effective joint action and that our efforts are unified in priority and 
purpose. The center will also be responsible for preparing the daily 
terrorism threat report for the President and senior officials.
    The Director of the National Counterterrorism Center will report to 
the National Intelligence Director, once that position is created. Until 
then, the center will report to the Director of the CIA.
    Given the growing threat of weapons and missile proliferation in our 
world, it may also be necessary to create a similar center in our 
Government to bring together our intelligence analysis, planning, and 
operations to track and prevent the spread of weapons of mass 
destruction. I asked the Commission headed by Judge Laurence Silberman 
and Senator Chuck Robb to determine the merits of creating such a 
center. This Nation must do everything we can to keep the world's most 
destructive weapons out of the world's most dangerous hands.
    Finally, we will act on other recommendations made by the 
Commission. In coming days, I'll issue a series of directives to various 
departments to underscore and further outline essential steps for the 
U.S. Government on the war on terror. All relevant agencies must 
complete the task of adopting common databases and procedures so that 
intelligence and homeland security information can be shared and 
searched effectively, consistent with privacy and civil liberties.
    At the same time, the FBI Director will continue his restructuring 
of the Bureau to create a specialized workforce for collecting, 
analyzing domestic intelligence on terrorism. The Acting CIA Director 
will continue to increase efforts already underway to strengthen human 
intelligence and analytical capabilities.
    The dedicated, hard-working men and women of our intelligence 
community are laboring every day to keep our country safe. I'm proud of 
their work--and so should our American citizens. We're in their debt. 
We're grateful for them. And the changes we're making are designed to 
help the professionals carry out their essential missions as best as 
they possibly can. I'll work closely with the Congress to ensure that 
reform does not disrupt their daily work. We've got good people working 
hard to protect America. We don't want these efforts to get in the way 
of their efforts to protect our fellow citizens.
    We are a nation in danger. We're doing everything we can in our 
power to confront the danger. We're making good progress in protecting 
our people and bringing our enemies to account. But one thing is for 
certain: We'll keep our focus, and we'll keep our resolve. We will do 
our duty to best secure our country.
    I'll answer a couple of questions today. Scott [Scott Lindlaw, 
Associated Press], have you got one?

Congressional Action on Intelligence Reform

    Q. First, I'd like to ask you what the level of urgency is here on 
those actions that require congressional approval. They're out on recess 
until Labor Day. Can you envision calling them back into special 
session? And also, you've got a terror warning, as you said, in three 
cities. How do you react without tipping the bad guys off and without 
turning the country into a fortress?
    The President. Yes. Well, the first question is--listen, the 
Congress has been thinking about some of these ideas. They can think 
about them over August and come back and act on them in September. We 
look forward to working with them--not only in the creation of the 
National Intelligence Director, how to do it the right way, but also the 
9/11 Commission had some very constructive suggestions for congressional 
reform. I think Tom told me one time he--how many different committees 
have you testified in front of?
    Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Well, 140 times our 
leadership was up there last year.
    The President. He testified 140 different times.
    Secretary Ridge. Leadership.
    The President. And----
    Secretary Ridge. The leadership--Under Secretaries----
    The President. Yes. I mean, it's a lot of--he's got a lot of 
jurisdictions up there, and so he goes committee, subcommittee, this 
committee, that committee. I mean, it seems like it's one thing to 
testify and, therefore,

[[Page 1426]]

to be oversight; it's another thing to make sure that the people who are 
engaged in protecting America don't spend all their time testifying. And 
so there's going to be some important reforms. We look forward to 
working with Congress on the reforms.
    The second part of your two-part question?

Intelligence Information Sharing

    Q. In a situation like this, where you have this new terror alert, 
how do you react without tipping off the terrorists and having them move 
to different targets, and how do you avoid turning the country into a 
fortress?
    The President. Well, I appreciate that. I think we have an 
obligation to inform the people involved with protecting New York City, 
in this case, or parts of Jersey or parts of DC about what we know. We 
have an obligation. When we find out something, we've got to share it. 
What we're talking about here is a very serious matter based upon sound 
intelligence. And I would hope the people affected in New York realize 
that by sharing intelligence, we can better prepare in case something 
were to happen.
    In other words, if we were just silent on the subject, I think 
people would be a lot more nervous. They would say, ``What is Government 
withholding? Why weren't they sharing stuff with the people responsible, 
Commissioner Kelly or Mayor Bloomberg?'' So our attitude is, we try to 
be as transparent as possible with the affected sites so that people can 
then take responses necessary to better protect the people.
    But it's serious business. I mean, we wouldn't be contacting 
authorities at the local level unless something was real. And what this 
points up to is that there's an enemy which hates what we stand for. And 
it's a different kind of war. And it's one that we're just going to have 
to continue to work on--and will--do the very best we can to protect the 
country.
    Adam [Adam Entous, Reuters].

Proposed National Intelligence Director

    Q. Mr. President, some of your own advisers oppose creation of a 
National Intelligence Director. Why did you override their objections? 
And will you give the new Director sweeping budget authority?
    The President. Because I thought it was the right thing to do, Adam. 
And the good thing about having an administration full of competent, 
capable intelligence people is that I get all different kinds of 
opinions. The best decisionmaking process is one where people have 
different opinions, and they bring them to me in a forthright way, and 
then I make the decision about what I think is best. And I think that 
the new National Intelligence Director ought to be able to coordinate 
budgets. I certainly hope Congress reforms its budget process too, so 
that it's a seamless process.
    Secondly, the National Intelligence Director will work with the 
respective agencies to set priorities. But let me make it also very 
clear that when it comes to operations, the chain of command will be 
intact. When the Defense Department is conducting operations to secure 
the homeland, there'll be nothing in between the Secretary of Defense 
and me. I believe this system will serve our country well as we head 
into the depths of the 21st century. As I said in my remarks here--that 
this struggle against these thugs will go on for a while, and therefore 
we've just got to do everything we can to be better prepared.
    Gregory [David Gregory, NBC News].

War on Terror

    Q. Mr. President, thank you. All of this, as you know, is coming in 
the context of the Presidential election campaign. Your opponent has 
made a couple of charges that I would like your response to: One, 
essentially saying that 3 years after the 9/11 attacks, to go about the 
business of rehauling the intelligence community, is too long; second, 
there's been a suggestion from the Kerry camp today that this 
administration is actually responsible for fueling the recruitment of Al 
Qaida through some of its policies, particularly--they didn't say this 
directly--but the war in Iraq. Your response?
    The President. Yes, that's a misunderstanding of the war on terror. 
Obviously, we have a difference of opinion--a clear difference of 
opinion--about the stakes that

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face America. These people we face are coldblooded, committed killers. 
They're interested in destroying our way of life. They were interested 
in destroying our way of life before I arrived in office. The only way 
to deal with these people is to bring them to justice.
    See, evidently some must think that you can negotiate with them, you 
can talk sense to them, you can hope that they change. That's not what I 
know. I know in order to deal with these people, we must bring them to 
justice before they hurt us again. And so we're on the offense. We will 
stay--the best way to protect the American homeland is to stay on the 
offense. It is a ridiculous notion to assert that because the United 
States is on the offense, more people want to hurt us. We are on the 
offense because people do want to hurt us.
    The other part of your question was what, sir?

Counterterrorism Efforts

    Q. Why wait 3 years after the 9/11 attacks to call for this kind of 
reform? Senator Kerry has said that's too long.
    The President. Yes. We have implemented significant reforms since 9/
11. The FBI is reformed, and Director Mueller has done a fabulous job. 
The communications between the FBI and the CIA have been enhanced by the 
creation of what's called TTIC, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center. 
We moved quickly to make sure that there is a seamless spread of 
information throughout our Government. We called for and worked with 
Congress to create the Department of Homeland Security. Not everybody in 
Congress agreed with how that Department ought to be set up. But we got 
it set up, and not only that, under Secretary Ridge, we have implemented 
the integration of multiple agencies to better protect the homeland. 
We've done a lot since September the 11th.
    Let's see here. Jay Newton-Small [Bloomberg News]. How are you?
    Q. Good, and you?
    The President. I'm fine.

Proposed National Intelligence Director

    Q. Mr. President, the 9/11 Commission originally recommended that 
the National Intelligence Director be part of the Executive Office, part 
of the executive branch. Why the change? Why make it part of--with 
congressional oversight?
    The President. Well, I don't think that person ought to be a member 
of my Cabinet. I will hire the person, and I can fire the person, which 
is--any President would like. That's how you have accountability in 
Government. I don't think that the office ought to be in the White 
House, however. I think it ought to be a stand-alone group to better 
coordinate, particularly between foreign intelligence and domestic 
intelligence matters. I think it's going to be one of the most useful 
aspects of the National Intelligence Director.
    Let's see. John--or Mike [Mike Allen, Washington Post], why don't 
you, and then John Cochran [ABC News].

Situation in Afghanistan/Iran

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. You saw that Doctors Without Borders 
pulled out of Afghanistan because it was too dangerous. You've seen 
reports about the re-formed Taliban. Why is the security situation there 
so poor? What do you see as the trajectory of it? And Mr. President, do 
you worry that you should have given more attention to Iran earlier?
    The President. First, let me address Afghanistan. I did see that the 
Doctors Without Borders left, and I'm sorry they did, because they were 
providing a important function for the people who want to live in a free 
society. I also saw, at the same time, that there's over--I think it's 9 
million Afghan citizens have registered to vote. That's an unbelievable 
statement, isn't it? Do you remember when we were here--I can't 
remember, at one of my press conferences--we had a discussion about 
this, but there was some concern that, well, maybe they're not going to 
get even the 3 million people registered to vote in Afghanistan. Or 
maybe it was--some minimal threshold. I think we're over 9 million now?
    Secretary Ridge. Yes, just about 9 million.
    The President. Nine million people have said to the world, ``We love 
freedom, and we're going to vote.'' Now, the Taliban still roams in 
parts of the country, and we're

[[Page 1428]]

working with the Afghan Government to bring them to justice. These are 
similar to the killers in Iraq; they'll lurk in shadows and come out and 
kill indiscriminately. Do you remember they pulled the women off the 
bus? They got the bus; they stopped and said, ``Everybody--the women 
with voter registration cards step up,'' and they killed them. 
Nevertheless, the Afghan people refuse to be intimidated. They're 
showing up in droves to vote. A free society is emerging in that part of 
the world.
    In Iran, we are paying very close attention to Iran. We have ever 
since I've been in office here. We are working with our friends to keep 
the pressure on the mullahs to listen to the demands of the free world. 
And we're working with the--hold on a second, please. Excuse me. We're 
working with the IAEA to keep the pressure on Iran, and the Secretary is 
working very closely with the foreign ministers of France, Great 
Britain, and Germany, who are taking it upon themselves to make it clear 
that the demands of Europe are also equal to--the same as the demands of 
the United States, that we expect for there to be full disclosure, full 
transparency of their nuclear weapons programs.
    Yes, Suzanne [Suzanne Malveaux, CNN]. Suzanne.
    Q. Do you think the intelligence was----
    The President. Suzanne.

Response to Terrorism Threats

    Q. Mr. President, your opponent, John Kerry, has called for a 
complete endorsement of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. How do 
your actions today differ from his own in ensuring national security? 
And what can the American people see in the days to come, either feel or 
see, to know that they are better protected?
    The President. Well, when we put out a threat alert like we did 
yesterday and then work with folks at the local jurisdictions to 
respond, the American people need to know that, one, our intelligence 
gathering is doing its job--the intelligence gatherers are doing their 
job. And secondly, the response mechanism is fast. And they need to know 
their Government--there are thousands of people working overtime to not 
only find data but analyze data and then take the steps necessary to 
protect, as best as we possibly can. This is a big country. We're a free 
country. And as I've said many times, we've got to be 100 percent 
correct; they've got to be correct once. But the people need to know 
that we're taking action on actionable intelligence.
    First part of the--the 9/11--listen, my job is to take a look at 
what I think is right and to build on that which we've already done. 
We've already done a lot. Take a good look at what has taken place since 
9/11, and I think you'll be, as a citizen concerned about your own 
safety, I think you'll be pleased. And the question is, how do we do 
more? We're more than happy to do more.
    Last question. Deans [Bob Deans, Cox Newspapers].

Proposed National Intelligence Director/Decisionmaking on Iraq

    Q. Yes, sir. Mr. President, can you say what you regard as the model 
for this National Intelligence Director? Is it the Fed? Would it be the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff?
    The President. Yes.
    Q. And in what way would this new structure prevent the kind of 
intelligence failings that preceded the war in Iraq with respect to 
weapons, difficulty of the opposition faced, and those sorts of things?
    The President. Not like the Fed. More like the Joint Chiefs, because 
the Joint Chiefs have got a--even though not a part of the chain of 
command, they are affected by the chain of command.
    And the second part of the--oh, why would this--listen, let me talk 
about the intelligence in Iraq. First of all, we all thought we would 
find stockpiles of weapons. We may still find weapons. We haven't found 
them yet. Every person standing up here would say, gosh, we thought it 
was going to be different, as did the Congress, by the way, members of 
both parties, and the United Nations. But what we do know is that Saddam 
Hussein had the capability of making weapons.
    And let me just say this to you: Knowing what I know today, we still 
would have gone on into Iraq. We still would have gone to make our 
country more secure. He had the

[[Page 1429]]

capability of making weapons. He had terrorist ties. The decision I made 
was the right decision. The world is better off without Saddam Hussein 
in power. And I find it interesting, in the political process, that some 
say, ``Well, I voted for the intelligence,'' and now they won't say 
whether or not it was the right decision to take Saddam Hussein out. 
It's the right decision, and the world is better off for it.
    Listen, thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 11:33 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Acting CIA Director John E. 
McLaughlin; and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Mayor Michael 
R. Bloomberg of New York City. The President also referred to the 
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 
Commission); and the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the 
United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (Silberman/Robb 
Commission).