SEATTLE – Two Sept. 11 commission members questioned President Bush’s proposal for a national intelligence director, saying Tuesday that whoever holds the job should have the power to control spending and staff at all 15 spy agencies.
Two other members, meanwhile, declined to criticize the president and said they wanted to avoid being seen as overly political.
Former Republican Sen. Slade Gorton of Washington and Richard Ben-Veniste, the former Watergate prosecutor, said the post would be weakened by anything less than full budget authority and the ability to hire and fire.
“Providing a figurehead is not what we intended,” Ben-Veniste said.
On Monday, Bush announced his support for a national intelligence chief and a national center to plan counterterror operations in the United States and abroad, two key recommendations of the bipartisan commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
He rejected the commission’s recommendation that the new intelligence director control all intelligence budgets and have the authority to choose who would lead the CIA, FBI, Defense Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies. Bush also turned aside the commission’s idea for placing the counterterrorism center and the director in the White House.
In Boston, two other commission members declined to join in criticism of the president.
“If we’re ever perceived as being political, our mission would be jeopardized,” said Fred Fielding, a Washington, D.C., lawyer and Republican member of the commission.
Jamie Gorelick, a former assistant attorney general in the Clinton administration who served on the commission, called Bush’s announcement “a helpful opening position” but did not insist the president adopt all the recommendations.
All four commission members were on a nationwide tour to promote the commission’s proposals.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
