FAS | Intelligence | News | 2004 ||||

October 2004 Intelligence News

• Homeland Intelligence Chief Hughes Warned Civil Rights Would Have to Be "Abridged" to Prevent Another Terror Attack by Justin Rood, CQ Homeland Security, October 27. "Eight months before the White House appointed him the Homeland Security Department's top intelligence official, retired U.S. Army Gen. Patrick M. Hughes told a public forum at Harvard last year that the government would have to 'abridge individual rights' and take domestic security measures 'not in accordance with our values and traditions' to prevent terrorist attacks in the United States."
• Intelligence secrecy ability may expand by Eunice Moscoso, Palm Beach Post, October 23. "Civil liberties groups and advocates of open government are alarmed at a provision moving rapidly in Congress that would give a new national intelligence director power to keep information secret to protect intelligence 'sources and methods'."
• Intel reform bill running out of time by Shaun Waterman, United Press International, October 22. "Sticking points remain. A provision of the Senate bill declassifies the amount of money the United States spends every year on intelligence. The White House opposes making the so-called 'top line' public, as do House Republicans."
• Letter from 9/11 Commissioners to House-Senate Conferees on Intelligence Reform, October 20. "We want to draw your attention to a few critical issues which we regard as essential to implementing our recommendations."
• White House Letter to House-Senate Conferees on Intelligence Reform, October 18. "The Administration urges the Conferees to reach agreement on an effective bill tostrengthen the nation's intelligence capabilities that both Houses can pass and the President cansign into law as soon as possible to meet the nation's security needs."
• State Dept Designates Zarqawi Network as Foreign Terrorist Organization, news release, October 15. "As part of ongoing U.S. efforts against terrorism, the Secretary of State today announced his designation of the terrorist group Jama'at al-Tawhid wa'al-Jihad, along with its aliases The Monotheism and Jihad Group, the al-Zarqawi network, and al-Tawhid, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization."
• Congressional report highlights debate over intelligence reform by Chris Strohm, Government Executive Daily Briefing, October 12. "A recent Congressional Research Service report highlights a debate within Congress over overhauling the U.S. intelligence community and creating a new national intelligence director. The report was obtained and publicized by the Federation of American Scientists last week."
• Intelligence officials prepare for new data-sharing policies by Frank Tiboni, Federal Computer Week, October 11. "Intelligence officials say that if they can safeguard information about how spies and information systems collect data, they can share that data with almost anyone in intelligence and Defense Department agencies or in the three military services."
• White House Statement on House version of intelligence reform bill, H.R. 10, October 7. "The Administration is also pleased that H.R. 10 would prevent disclosure of sensitive information about the intelligence budget."
• United Republic of Tanzania Signs and Ratifies the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, news release, October 1. "This latest ratification also brings the overall total of ratifications worldwide to 119."