- WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- President
Bush on Tuesday nominated as CIA director Rep. Porter Goss, head of the
House Intelligence Committee, to replace George Tenet, who quit last month
under a cloud of criticism.
-
- Speaking at a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White
House, Bush said Goss -- a former CIA intelligence officer himself -- was
the right man to lead the agency at a time of unprecedented threats against
America.
-
- "Porter Goss is a leader with strong experience
in intelligence and in fighting against terrorism," said Bush.
-
- "He is 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," he added.
-
- Goss, a Florida Republican, said he was honored to be
the president's choice to lead the CIA, which has been criticized for failing
to provide enough intelligence to prevent the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and
giving false information on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
-
- "What many Americans don't realize is we've got
a lot of people around the globe doing very, very hard work -- long hours
in dangerous situations," said Goss.
-
- Goss, 65, had been considered the leading candidate after
Tenet resigned as CIA chief on July 11. The CIA currently is being run
by an acting director.
-
- FLURRY OF ORDERS
-
- His nomination will be joined in the coming days with
a number of executive orders Bush is expected to issue for intelligence
reforms after recommendations from the commission that investigated the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
-
- When Goss' name was first floated for the position, Sen.
Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence
Committee, said he would not support someone from Congress in that job
and complained Goss would be too partisan.
-
- The committee would have to hold confirmation hearings
for the new CIA director.
-
- Last week, Bush overruled some of his most senior advisors
when he called on Congress to create a national intelligence security director,
as recommended by the Sept. 11 commission. This post is expected to be
more senior than that of CIA director.
-
- At least three members of Bush's national security team,
including Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, had argued there was no
need for a national intelligence director, saying it would create more
bureaucratic layers.
-
- Bush, who initially opposed the creation of the commission,
is under political pressure in an election year to respond swiftly to the
panel's recommendation amid fears of another terrorist attack.
-
- The Sept. 11 commission report found "deep institutional
failings" by the U.S. government led to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
that killed nearly 3,000 people.
-
- If confirmed by Congress, the Florida Republican would
be only the second congressman to head the Central Intelligence Agency
after George H. W. Bush, the former president and father of the current
U.S. president.
-
- Copyright © 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon.
-
- http://news.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=UBZJG
AMS0HYLACRBAEZSFEY?type=topNews&storyID=5924564
|
