President Bush Signs Into Law US Intelligence Bill
December 17th, 2004 – InvestorIdeas.com – On Friday morning President Bush
signed into law the largest revamp of U.S. intelligence gathering in 50
years. The commission analyzing the 9/11 attacks reported that greater
harmony between the nation’s 15 different intelligence agencies could have
gone a long way towards preventing the tragedy. The 563-page bill targets
tightened security at borders, seaports, and airports, by unifying all 15 US
intelligence agencies under one federal counterterrorism center to be
controlled by one intelligence director.
Organizationally, the intelligence director will rank above the director of
the Central Intelligence Agency and other spy agency heads. President Bush
did not, however, announce a candidate for that post at Friday’s ceremony.
The new law contains provisions that will increase the number of agents
working in key Homeland Defense Sectors. For the next five years the number
of full time border patrol agents will be increased by 2000 agents per year,
and the number of Customs and Immigration agents will be increased by 800
per year. The bill also pinpoints initiatives that are expected to: halt
terrorist financing and travel; help law enforcement officials; protect
civil liberties; and promote U.S. values overseas
Bush called the intelligence bill "historic" and said that it will
strengthen the "first line of defense" in the war on terror. In a written
statement, President Bush said, "We already have taken numerous steps to
improve our intelligence capabilities, and the Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 further strengthens intelligence gathering
and operations.”
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