New scrutiny on US spy structure

Nearly three years after Congress approved a sweeping reorganization of US intelligence agencies – including the establishment of a Director of National Intelligence – some lawmakers and experts outside government are wondering whether America's spy capabilities have improved as much as intended.

The intelligence community's new conclusion that Iran has halted its nuclear weapons program represents a complete turnaround in judgment, critics point out. Meanwhile, the CIA's destruction of videotapes of interrogations of Al Qaeda suspects has raised an uproar in Washington and will undoubtedly lead to investigations of the agency's action.

Intelligence officials themselves say these news items show that their new structure is working. Improved collection methods and better analysis led them to reverse their conclusions about Iran, they say.

The destruction of the tapes appears to have occurred before the new hierarchy was fully established.

In terms of implementation of reform, "I think we would grade ourselves probably in the B- category," said Donald Kerr, principal deputy in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, at a Dec. 6 House hearing.

Following Sept. 11, a number of official investigations held that lack of coordination among intelligence agencies was one reason that the US government did not foresee and forestall the attacks. Per the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which President Bush signed into law on Dec. 17.

John Negroponte was the Bush's first pick for the intelligence czar post. In April 2005, Mr. Negroponte left to become second-in-command at the Department of State. The current Director of National Intelligence is retired Navy Adm. Mike McConnell.

Mr. McConnell is the chief of all 16 US intelligence agencies and is supposed to coordinate their work and analytic product. The head of the CIA – former DNI deputy Michael Hayden – reports to him.

Agency officials say the establishment of the DNI office has brought a needed rigor and centralization to US intelligence efforts. They point to moves such as the establishment of a National Counterterrorism Center to show how the intelligence community has broken out of its old mentality, which lacked interagency coordination.

"Because we now have a DNI, tasks are getting done and progress is being made .... Today we are delivering high quality, timely, often actionable intelligence to customers better than ever before," said Mr. Kerr at the House Intelligence panel hearing.

Some critics long have held that the establishment of a new layer of management does not automatically equal progress, however. And the abrupt reversal of course on Iran has surprised many lawmakers and experts in Washington. Whatever they think of the conclusion that Iran does not currently have a weapons program, they wonder about the suddenness of the move. What happened to change analysts' minds?

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