President Bush has endorsed the creation of a national intelligence director as part of an extensive reform of the intelligence community. It was one of the key recommendations of the commission that investigated the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Less than two weeks after the commission issued its report, Mr. Bush embraced its key recommendations.
He said he will name a national intelligence director to coordinate and oversee all the intelligence entities in the U.S. government.
He said, "Our goal is an integrated, unified, national intelligence effort."
The commission wanted the national intelligence director to be part of the president's cabinet. But Mr. Bush said the post should be independent and free of political influence.
"I want and every president must have the best, unbiased, unvarnished assessment of America's intelligence professionals," he said.
The need for intelligence reforms has become an issue in the U.S. presidential campaign. Democratic nominee John Kerry is putting together his own reform proposals and has criticized the Bush administration for waiting too long to take action after the September 11th attacks.