DNI a ‘work in progress closer to the beginning of reform than the end,‘ says ex-9/11 Commissioner Kean

In their testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation last week, former 9/11 Commission Chairman and Vice Chairman Tom Kean [left] and Lee Hamilton [right], now co-chairs of the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) National Security Preparedness Group, declared that the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), who oversees the entire Intelligence Community, needs to find ways to deal with “information overload.”

"As we've seen from the recent terrorist incidents at Fort Hood and in the skies above Detroit, there is still work to be done," said Hamilton, who noted also that, “in the five years since the passage of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, the U.S. government has made significant strides to correct the shortfalls and mistakes evident on September 11, 2001.”

As part of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which was passed five years ago, created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), the two men noted.

"The DNI has achieved a meaningful measure of success in its first years," said Kean. "But is a work in progress closer to the beginning of reform than the end."

And Hamilton observed that the "DNI has been hobbled by endless disputes over its size, mission and authority."

Kean pointed to “ambiguities in the law” that created the DNI. “These ambiguities can contribute to mission confusion and lack of clarity about lanes in the road.”

Kean also called on the President to “be clear on who is in charge of the Intelligence Community and where final authority lies on budget and personnel matters.”

The bottom line from the two men, who were widely praised for their bipartisan style as heads of the 9/11 Commission: “We must reject complacency and recognize we still face a serious threat from organizations like Al-Qaeda.”