Senate Select Intelligence Committee Holds Hearing on Worldwide Threats to Intelligence Community

FDCH TRANSCRIPTS
Congressional Hearings
Feb. 11, 2003
Senate Select Intelligence Committee Holds Hearing on Worldwide Threats to Intelligence Community

WYDEN:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Director Tenet, if no military action is taken against Saddam Hussein this winter and spring and UN inspectors continue their work in Iraq through the summer, I would like to know if you believe Hussein will be a greater threat to our country and our allies in the fall? The question is relevant to me because obviously, we're going to keep the UN inspectors there, canvassing the country. And we're concerned about his military and weapons of mass destruction capability.

And I'm wondering if you think, given that, if no action is taken this winter and this spring, whether Hussein will be a greater threat to our nation in the fall?

TENET:

Senator, if the inspections regime continue on its current course with the non-cooperation and non-compliance of the Iraqis and essentially their continued effort to deceive and make it impossible for these inspectors to work, and there is not much of a record to indicate that that's going to change, that's something you have to factor into your calculations. The one thing you have to remember is that Saddam Hussein built a WMD program with inspectors living in his country for years.

He understood how to acquire chemical and biological capabilities. He understood how to establish a clandestine procurement network. He understands how to cross borders.

Now the policy decision you make or others make is not my purview. He will continue to strengthen himself over time. And the greatest concern is how fast he gets to a nuclear capability, which then magnifies the impact of his already large chemical and biological program.

So from a professional perspective, it never gets any better with this fellow. And he's never been a status quo guy.

WYDEN:

We'll get into it some more in the closed session. I appreciate it, just because time is short.

Gentlemen, let me ask you about the total information awareness program. This, of course, is a Defense Department program. I'm the sponsor of an amendment now, an omnibus bill, to put some restrictions there so we can have some safeguards for the civil liberties of the American people.

And of course, the technology from the Total Information Awareness Program, as envisaged, would be given to various agencies so they can track various databases. I'd like to know from you all what your view is of the Total Information Awareness Program's planned capabilities and whether you have any concerns about privacy? And if so, what safeguards you think are necessary?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

WYDEN:

I certainly hope so because this is a program that involves the question of snooping into law-abiding Americans on American soil, something I feel strongly about. And we're talking about the most expansive surveillance program in American history. This is something we've got to nail down the safeguards on before we go forward with. And suffice it to say there is substantial bipartisan concern up here on the Hill.

One last question, if I might, for you, Mr. Tenet. The terrorist tracking system, the TIC system, the Terrorist Identification Classification System, was something I wrote in the Intelligence Authorization bill so we could store and retrieve the critical information on known or suspected terrorists and essentially track them on an ongoing basis.

I'd like to know what the status of this is and particularly what's been done to improve the sharing of information regarding these known and suspected terrorists and whether it's now getting to the state and local level. Because again, I'm hearing at home concerns on this point.