- US President George Bush has signed into law a far-reaching
overhaul of the country's intelligence agencies.
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- The new measures - the most sweeping changes in nearly
60 years - are intended to prevent a repeat of the 11 September attacks.
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- They will lead to the creation of a national intelligence
director to oversee the work of the 15 US security agencies, including
the CIA and FBI.
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- Intelligence officials will also be granted greater surveillance
powers.
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- "Our vast intelligence enterprise will become more
unified, co-ordinated and effective," Mr Bush said at the signing
ceremony.
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- "It will enable us to better do our duty, which
is to protect the American people," he added.
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- 'Unified enterprise'
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- Under the new law, a single individual will be put in
charge of co-ordinating the work of the country's spy agencies, as well
as their multibillion dollar budgets.
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- "A key lesson of 11 September is that America's
intelligence agencies must work together as a single, unified enterprise,"
Mr Bush said.
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- A national counter-terrorism centre will also be created.
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- The law will allow operatives to place wiretaps on suspected
terror suspects and to improve the efficiency of baggage-screening equipment
at borders and airports.
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- The legislation was the result of the year-long investigation
by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission into the 11 September 2001 terror attacks
on New York and Washington.
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- The inquiry found the country's intelligence agencies
failed to share information and were often engaged in bureaucratic competition.
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- Such weaknesses, it concluded, were partly to blame for
the failure to prevent the attacks in which nearly 3,000 people died.
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- US INTELLIGENCE BILL * Establishes director of national
intelligence * Creates a national counter-terrorism centre * Sets up a
civil liberties board * Increases border patrols * Tightens visa requirements
* Strengthens rights to investigate terror suspects
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- © BBC MMIV
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- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4105593.stm
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