[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 33 (Monday, August 16, 2004)]
[Pages 1519-1520]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
<R04>
Remarks Announcing the Nomination of Porter J. Goss To Be Director of
the Central Intelligence Agency
August 10, 2004
The President. Thank you all for coming. I'm pleased to announce my
decision to nominate Congressman Porter Goss as the next Director of the
Central Intelligence Agency. Porter Goss is a leader with strong
experience in intelligence and in the fight against terrorism. He knows
the CIA inside and out. He's the right man to lead this important agency
at this critical moment in our Nation's history.
The work of the CIA is vital to our security. America faces
determined enemies who plan in many nations, send trained killers to
live among us, and attack without warning. This threat is unprecedented,
and to stop them from killing our citizens, we must have the best
intelligence possible. The men and women of the CIA must penetrate
closed societies and secretive organizations. They must overcome
challenges of language and culture and learn things that our adversaries
don't want us to know. Because their work is secret, the men and women
of the CIA receive little recognition, but they're protecting our
country every day.
Since September the 11th, our intelligence professionals have worked
with great determination to stop another attack on America, and our
country is grateful.
Director George Tenet and acting Director John McLaughlin have
served our Nation with distinction and honor. And now, with the
agreement of the U.S. Senate, the CIA will have another strong leader in
Porter Goss.
I've given Porter an essential mission to lead the Agency for the
challenges and threats of a dangerous new century. He is well prepared
for this mission. Porter Goss brings a broad experience to this critical
job. He's a former Army intelligence officer with a decade of experience
in the CIA's clandestine service. He knows the agency, and he knows what
is needed to strengthen it. He understands the importance of human
intelligence. He was a CIA field officer on two continents. He'll make
sure that the men and women of the CIA have the capabilities and skills
they need to penetrate the hard targets and denied areas and to get to
know the enemy firsthand. He also knows the importance of investing in
technologies that allow us to look and listen better. And he will work
to ensure the agency remains on the cutting edge of technological
change.
As Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence since
1997, and as a Member on the Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of
the United States Intelligence Community, he has been a leading voice on
intelligence and national security and terrorism. He's been a force for
positive change. His experience on Capitol Hill will
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serve him well at the CIA, because he's respected on both sides of the
aisle and because he understands the important role Congress must play
in the effort to improve our Nation's intelligence capabilities.
Over 15 years of service, Porter Goss has built a reputation as a
reformer. He'll be a reformer at the Central Intelligence Agency. I look
forward to his counsel and his judgments as to how best to implement
broader intel reform, including the recommendations of the 9/11
Commission.
I appreciate your many years, Porter, of service to our country. I
appreciate your willingness to serve. I'm grateful that you've agreed to
step forward and serve once again. Welcome.
Representative Goss. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you
very much, Mr. President. I'm obviously deeply honored, and I'm
extremely grateful for the opportunity. You've outlined a very strong
challenge.
I think every American knows the importance of the best possible
intelligence we can get to our decisionmakers. It is vital, as the
President has well said. What many Americans don't realize is that we've
got an awful lot of people around the globe doing very, very hard work--
long hours in dangerous situations. The essence of our intelligence
capability is people. And we have some wonderful Americans doing a great
job.
I used to be part of them when I worked for CIA. I'm very proud to
be associated with them again. And I look forward to the challenges of
the future. I also look forward to the confirmation process with the
Senate. As a Member right now on the Hill, I know the value of that and
the importance of that.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
The President. Good job. Thank you, sir.
Representative Goss. Thank you, sir.
Note: The President spoke at 8:31 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to the Commission on Terrorist
Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission). The Office of the
Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these
remarks.