Bush Taps John Negroponte as America's First Director of National Intelligence

John Negroponte's appointment as America's first director of national intelligence has sparked controversy and raised questions about his suitability for the role. President Bush has chosen Mr. Negroponte, who has been accused of abetting torture and murder in Central America during the 1980s, to lead the newly created post. Mr. Negroponte has been a survivor and a fighter, rising through the ranks despite criticism and controversy. He will need to draw on his experience of fighting to succeed in his hardest job yet.

Key Takeaways:

• John Negroponte, a seasoned diplomat with a controversial past, has been appointed as America's first director of national intelligence by President Bush.
• Mr. Negroponte has been accused of abetting torture and murder in Central America during the 1980s, but he has repeatedly denied such accusations.
• The intelligence-reform law requires the DNI to have the power to allocate money to all intelligence agencies and direct how it is spent, which could potentially put Mr. Negroponte at odds with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
• The newly created post of the DNI is meant to improve coordination among America's 15 intelligence agencies, who were previously seen as competing rather than co-operating.
• The DNI will not sit in the cabinet or be physically located in the White House, but Mr. Bush has stated that Mr. Negroponte will have his ear and will be his primary daily intelligence briefer.
• Mr. Bush has clarified that Mr. Negroponte will have the authority to allocate money to all intelligence agencies and direct how it is spent, but the military chain of command will remain intact.
• Mr. Negroponte's experience in fighting and his background in diplomacy will be crucial to his success as the DNI, but some worry that he may be too tied to the president and disconnected from the spies and analysts who do the actual intelligence work.

Statistics:

• The intelligence community's budget is approximately $40 billion.
• 80% of the intelligence community's budget is consumed by the Defense Department.
• The September 11th commission determined that better coordination among intelligence agencies might have been able to forestall the tragedy.
• The intelligence-reform law passed in December created the post of the DNI and gave it the power to allocate money to all intelligence agencies.

Sources:

• The Economist
• Intelligence-reform law passed in December
• September 11th commission
• Human Rights Watch