The final panel of the Baker Peace Conference, composed of three nationally renowned intelligence experts, addressed the institutional reform and future of American intelligence at Baker University Center on Friday.
Policy makers don't want criticism; they want corroboration
said Loch Johnson, regents professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia and editor of the journal Intelligence and National Security.
He discussed the three missions of the 15 agencies that make up national intelligence and the sense of complexity John Negroponte, the new director of national intelligence, will face in his efforts to reform the agencies.
One central thesis is that (Negroponte) will have to move across a broad front in order to be successful Johnson said. It's not going to be good enough to concentrate on one or two things.
Johnson cited collection and analysis, covert action and counterintelligence as the three missions essential to facilitate improvement in American intelligence.
I think we've got plenty of things to improve in intelligence said Claudia Kennedy, former army deputy chief of staff for Intelligence from 1997 to 2000. But I don't think all of it resides in how we collect or disseminate intelligence.
Kennedy, the first and only woman to achieve the rank of three-star general in the U.S. Army, described several kinds of threats facing the United States, including emergence of regional competitors, weapons of mass destruction and terrorism.
Our problems in intelligence are far bigger than what to do about Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda
she said.
A key factor for intelligence improvement lies in the oldest form of intelligence gathering, human intelligence, she said. Human intelligence, also known as HUMINT, includes the clandestine acquisition of photography and documents from human sources, according to the Web site, www.intelligence.gov.
In addition, Kennedy touched on the broad operational decision-making process, which often causes crises to occur before changes are made in the system.
We don't really muster the political will for great change until we suffer the loss of some very precious lives
she said.
David Kay, the final speaker of the panel, described his experience as head of the Bush administration's weapons-inspection team in Iraq during 2003 to January 2004. Kay said he formed opinions on what reforms are needed for better intelligence agencies.
Unless Congress and the president are prepared to hold organizations and people accountable for their failures
organizational change will never work
he said.
Also, Kay said Negroponte must receive full support of President Bush, and people working in intelligence agencies should question analysis and the validity of information coming through.
The panel, which wrapped up this year's Baker Peace Conference, took place in the Baker Center Ballroom.
I thought they were well-spoken; they knew what they were talking about
said Kathy Galt, an Athens resident.
The panel was a little more than half full, but Nida Degesys, a senior policial science major, said she thought more students should have attended.
I wish more students would take advantage of it
Degesys said. There should be people standing in the back.
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