Intelligence Chief: US 'More Vigilant'

The United States Director of National

Intelligence praised the efforts of

U.S. security agencies and urged audience

members to consider a career in

government service in a speech Friday

at the Institute of Politics.

In the ticketed event, called “Global

Security Challenges Facing the Intelligence

Community” and held at the

John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, John D.

Negroponte said that greater coordination

between the different U.S. security

agencies has contributed to increased

safety.

The U.S. intelligence community is

“better coordinated, more vigilant, and

in that sense I think we’re safer than pre-

9/11,” Negroponte said. The position of

Director of National Intelligence was

created as a result of the recommendations

of the 9/11 Commission’s Report.

Negroponte also spoke about the

recruitment needs of the intelligence

community, particularly among college

students.

“With the end of the Cold War and

advent of the 1990s, there was a hollowing

out, if you will, of the national

security community” and Intelligence

Community, Negroponte said. “9/11

provoked an effort to try and rebuild

those capabilities, and we are still very

much ramping up the number of analysts

and intelligence collectors.”

“I hope that at least some of you

would pursue an interest in, a career in

government service,” he added.

Although Negroponte was a graduate

of Harvard’s Ivy rival Yale, he was

a Harvard graduate student for a brief

stint. Negroponte retold the story of

how he enrolled at Harvard Law School

46 years ago. He was only there for a

week, however, before learning that he

was admitted to the Foreign Service.

He said when he told the dean, Erwin

N. Griswold, that he was leaving,

Griswold gave him a look that suggested

Negroponte would regret the decision.

“So much for my legal career!” Negroponte

said.

Back in Washington, Negroponte,

a Bush appointee, may face challenges

working with the newly elected Democratic

Congress. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, DTexas,

an opponent of the Iraq war, is

slated to become chairman of the U.S.

House of Representatives Intelligence

Committee.