SUMMARY OF THE 9-11 MEMORIAL INTELLIGENCE REFORM …



Summary of the 9-11 Memorial Intelligence Reform Act

Recommendation #1 (Section 2) - Reorganization and Improvement of Management of Intelligence Community under Director of National Intelligence

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI), a Cabinet level position, appointed by the President and subject to Senate confirmation, will be President’s principal advisor on intelligence and the head of the United States Intelligence Community, and have a wide range of management, budgetary and personnel responsibilities. The Office of the DNI will streamline the intelligence community to operate as a coherent whole, ensuring policy and personnel coordination and the ability to move information between elements of the Intelligence Community. No person may serve as both DNI and the Director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or the director of any other intelligence agency.

Recommendation #2 (Section 3)- Priorities of Intelligence and Counterterroism Activities for the Intelligence Community

The President will establish priorities for the intelligence, intelligence-related, and counterterrorism activities of the United States Government. These priorities will be reviewed and updated at least on an annual basis. The House and Senate Intelligence Committees will review priorities and their justifications annually.

Recommendation #3 (Section 4) - Comprehensive Strategy on Combatting Terrorism

The National Security Council will prepare a comprehensive government-wide strategy for combating terrorism at home and abroad. The DNI will develop the intelligence component of the strategy, focusing on specific programs and budgets to address Usama bin Ladin, al Qa’ida, Hezbollah, Hamas and other significant terrorist groups.

Specific efforts should be made to:

- develop better human sources to penetrate groups;

- fully utilize technologies to better exploit terrorist communications;

- enhance domestic intelligence collection and analysis;

- maximize use of covert action;

- develop programs to eradicate financial support for international terrorism; and

- facilitate the ability of special operations forces to conduct joint operations against terrorist targets.

Recommendation #4 (Section 5)- Inclusion of National Intelligence Office for Terrorism on the National Intelligence Council

Establishes a National Intelligence Officer on Terrorism as a member of the National Intelligence Council. The National Intelligence Officer on Terrorism will prepare intelligence estimates on terrorism for the use of Congress and Executive Branch to assist the Intelligence Community in developing strategic counterterrorism analysis.

Recommendation #6 (Section 6) - Enhancement of Counterterrorism Capabilities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

To strengthen and improve domestic counterterrorism capabilities, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will institute new policies that clearly designate counterterrorism priorities. Improving strategic analytical capabilities, as well as qualifications and training of analysts and field officers will enable the FBI to more effectively penetrate terrorists operating in the United States. Further, the FBI will overhaul its information technology system to ensure an accurate evaluation of the terrorism threat level and the maximization of an exchange of counterterrorism information between the FBI and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Recommendation #7 (Section 7) - Reform of the Domestic Intelligence Programs and Activities

The DNI, Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security will jointly submit a report to Congress on reforms in the conduct of the domestic intelligence programs and activities of the Untied States Government.

Recommendation #8 (Section 8)- Enhancement of Utilization of Foreign Surveillance Authorities by the Intelligence Community

The Attorney General and the Director of the FBI will provide in-depth training to FBI personnel and others in the Intelligence Community regarding FISA through the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review. The FBI will disseminate information acquired by FISA throughout the Intelligence Community on a timely basis. Additionally, the FBI will develop and implement a plan on the full utilization of FISA to assess the terrorist posed by international terrorist groups operating within the United States.

Recommendation #10 (Section 9)- Plan for Enhancement of Signals Intelligence

The Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) should present to the DNI, the Secretary of Defense and the House and Senate Intelligence Committees a report containing a detailed plan for the enhancement of the signals intelligence program of the United States.

Recommendation #11 (Section 10) - Personnel Initiatives for the Intelligence Community

The DNI will take appropriate actions to improve and enhance the quality of personnel in the Intelligence Community. This will include initiatives to improve counterterrorism training, intelligence sharing, language capabilities, use of FISA and watchlisting. A Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps will be established, and the existing Intelligence Community Reserve Corps will be expanded to ensure the use of expertise from outside the Community. Further, the Intelligence Community should pursue policies to enhance its recruitment to include a more ethnically and culturally diverse workforce.

Recommendation #12 (Section 11)- Budgeting and Funding of Intelligence and Counterterrorism Activities

The DNI will submit a report to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees detailing the feasibility and advisability of conducting, by an agency or entity outside the intelligence community, of a cost-benefit analysis of the allocations of resources for the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government.

Recommendation #13 (Section 12)- Report on Revisions to Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements to Strengthen Counterterrorism Efforts

The Secretary of State, along with the Attorney General, should review and report to Congress and the President on the extent to which United States counterterrorism efforts could be strengthened by revising mutual assistance and extradition treaties.

Recommendation #14 (Section 13)- Study and Recommendations of Improvement of Congressional Oversight of the Intelligence Community

The National Commission on the Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States should conduct a study of means by which Congress may improve its oversight of the intelligence community and its activities. In conducting the study, the Commission shall consider the advisability of modifications to the budgetary process, the membership rules for the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, the appropriateness and effectiveness of separate bicameral committees to oversee the Intelligence Community, and the best way to enable policymakers to deal with changes in classified intelligence information.

Recommendation #15 (Section 14) - Treatment and Classification of Intelligence Information

The President shall review and consider amendments to Executive Orders, policies and procedures that govern classification and availability of intelligence information, in an effort to expand access to relevant information, as appropriate, for federal agencies outside the Intelligence Community, and for state and local authorities. The President and heads of covered agencies (the Departments of Defense, Justice and State and the Central Intelligence Agency) shall remain vigilant that the policies and procedure to protect the unauthorized disclosure of intelligence information remain fully implemented and vigorously enforced. Further, the DNI, in consultation with the Attorney General and Secretaries of State, Defense and Homeland Security, shall submit a report to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees with proposals for reforming the governance of designating sensitive and classified intelligence.

Recommendation #16 (Section 15)- Enhancement of the Accountability of the Intelligence Community for the Performance of Intelligence Activities

The DNI and the heads of covered agencies (the Departments of Defense, Justice and State and the Central Intelligence Agency) will separately and jointly take steps to implement mechanisms to provide for enhanced accountability for the performance of the intelligence-related activities of the United States. The DNI will report to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees on the mechanisms implemented or proposed to be implemented in regards to accountability.

The Inspector General of each relevant agency will review the findings of the Joint Inquiry regarding the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States to discover if any personnel of each agency should be held accountable. The Inspector General of each agency should conduct their own supplemental investigations where appropriate.

Recommendation #17 (Section 16)- Elimination or Reduction in Barriers to Collection and Sharing of Intelligence for Counterterrorism Purposes

The DNI will submit a report to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees that describes the current barriers to collecting and sharing intelligence within the intelligence community, recent community efforts to eliminate such barriers, and sets forth recommendations for the further elimination or reduction of barriers, while adhering to all applicable guidelines and laws.

Recommendation #18 (Section 17)- National Terrorist Watchlist Center

The DNI will establish the National Terrorist Watchlist Center, which will be responsible for coordinating and integrating all terrorist watchlist systems in both the government and private sector, ensuring a timely assembly and dispersal of terrorist watchlist systems and promoting awareness of the systems.

Recommendation #19 (Section 18) - Enhancement of Efforts to Identify Support or Involvement of Foreign Governments in Terrorist Activities

The DNI, in consultation with the Directors of the CIA and the FBI, will take action to identify the support or involvement of foreign governments in terrorist activities. In taking such actions, the DNI can use the applicable findings from the Joint Inquiry in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The DNI must also keep the House and Senate Intelligence Committees informed of all actions and findings into foreign governments activities.

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