Proposed Terrorist Threat Intergration Center

HEADLINE: PREPARED TESTIMONY OF SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS CHAIRMAN

BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

SUBJECT - PROPOSED TERRORIST THREAT INTEGRATION CENTER

BODY:
Today, the Governmental Affairs Committee is holding its second hearing on the President's proposed Terrorist Threat Integration Center. We are pleased to have a distinguished panel of Administration witnesses to answer questions about the mission, structure, and responsibilities of this new entity.

The sharing of intelligence among federal agencies was a serious problem long before the horrific attacks of September 11th, but it was the terrorists' attacks that focused attention on the serious consequences of inadequate communication and interagency rivalries. As the lead federal law enforcement agency responsible for collecting domestic intelligence, including terrorism-related intelligence, the FBI historically has focused on investigating and developing criminal cases. At times, the FBI has failed to share critical domestic intelligence because of concerns that the disclosure of such information could jeopardize its criminal cases. As the primary federal agency responsible for collecting foreign intelligence related to terrorism, the CIA also has been hesitant to share information because of its concern that such disclosures would jeopardize its methods and sources of information. The result of these barriers has been that, too often, critical intelligence has not reached the people who need it.

After September 11th, it became readily apparent that government agencies must do a much better job analyzing and sharing terrorist- related intelligence. Congress moved toward that goal in 2001 by passing legislation to facilitate the sharing of intelligence information and then, last year, by approving the Homeland Security Act. The Administration has also taken a number of positive steps since September 11th. The FBI and the CIA have expanded both their analytical efforts and their cooperation.

But these changes have not gone far enough. Administration representatives have stated that information sharing between the FBI and CIA is often achieved through "brute force." The President is attempting to address impediments to the timely sharing of critical intelligence by creating the Terrorist Threat Integration Center. Nevertheless, there are many questions about the implementation of the Administration's plan.

- The first and most fundamental question is: How will the Integration Center be an improvement over our existing intelligence structure? We currently have a Counterterrorist Center within the CIA that has access to all government intelligence relating to terrorism. As CIA Director George Tenet has noted, the Center "was created to enable the fusion of all sources of information in a single action-oriented unit." That sounds a lot like the proposed Integration Center, which raises the obvious question: How will the new Center improve the sharing of intelligence information among agencies?

- A second key questions is: What is being done to ensure that the Integration Center will streamline and consolidate intelligence analysis, rather than create duplication and mission confusion? I have prepared a chart that shows some of the agencies that are currently responsible for collecting and analyzing terrorist-related intelligence. As you can see, it is a confusing picture. Including the Integration Center in the chart does not make the picture any less complex. It simply adds one more box. We need to understand how this additional box will improve the flow of information to the agencies that need it.

- A third question concerns the proper location for the new Center. Some experts believe that the Department of Homeland Security should be the hub of all homeland security activities, including intelligence analysis. By reviewing the Homeland Security Act, one could make a compelling case that the new Department was meant to be the fusion center for the analysis of intelligence relating to homeland security. Should the Integration Center therefore be under the supervision of the Secretary of Homeland Security, rather than the Director of Central Intelligence? We would like to understand the reasoning behind that decision and how the Integration Center will interact with the Department of Homeland Security.

- Another important question is how will the Center share appropriate information with state and local authorities, our front-line troops in the war on terror? It is one thing to analyze intelligence information well, but if the people who need the intelligence don't receive it, then the effort has been of little use.

- How will the Center overcome agency resistance to change? There have already been news reports indicating opposition to the Integration Center in both the FBI and the CIA. What is being done to overcome agency resistance so that it does not undermine the Center's core mission?

- Finally, will the Integration Center adequately address privacy and other legal concerns? The President's proposal places the Director of Central Intelligence in charge of the Integration Center. In that position, he will be responsible for the analysis of domestic as well as foreign intelligence. I understand that the Administration has reviewed the legal issues carefully, but I want to ensure that the Center's activities will not infringe on the constitutional rights of American citizens.

At last week's heating, we did not hear of any opposition to the concept of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center. A number of questions, however, have been raised by members of this Committee and others concerning implementation of this plan. I hope that our expert Administration witnesses will fully answer these questions today.

If the Administration can achieve its stated goals, I believe that the Integration Center will usher in important new capabilities in the way the government analyzes intelligence and shares it with those who are responsible for protecting our people and our nation. But its success will depend on overcoming formidable historic barriers to information- sharing and cooperation.

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