Bush tells CIA: Get more spies
2004-11-26 12:00
Washington - United States President George W Bush has ordered the CIA to get more spies on the ground to step up the war on terror - while resignations of key staff have increased a sense of turmoil at the world's biggest intelligence agency.
The president last week gave Central Intelligence Agency director Porter Goss 90 days to draw up a timetable and budget to increase by 50% the number of spies on the ground, and take on extra analysts and language specialists.
Bush, according to his memorandum made public this week, also wants to double the number of agents in the research and development department tracking weapons of mass destruction.
The extra staff are one part of the recommendations made by the official investigation into the September 11 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.
CIA too slow
The CIA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were criticised for their slow reaction to signs of an al-Qaeda attack before the hijackers struck on September 11 - as well as the information on weapons of mass destruction used to justify the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. No such weapons have ever been found in that country.
The commission called for widespread reforms. It said the CIA strayed from its central mission of recruiting spies and infiltrating groups such as al-Qaeda. The commission report said the intelligence agency relied too much on information from other governments.
When the al-Qaeda members attacked at the heart of the US establishment in New York and Washington, there was no CIA agent in Afghanistan even though Osama bin Laden was known to be in the country.
The CIA is the biggest of a network of US spy agencies. It has 17 000 staff and an annual budget of $3.1bn.
In the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the CIA reduced the number of spies on the ground and made more use of technology to secure information.
Number of people leaving
Numbers have gone up again since September 11, but the administration now seems to want this process accelerated. Several thousand new agents could be taken on in years to come.
Goss became CIA director this year after the long-serving George Tenet resigned in June. But agency morale has reportedly been hit by the resignations of several top officials in apparent protests at the changes being carried out by the new director.
John McLaughlin, the deputy director, is retiring. Stephen Kappes, head of the Directorate of Operations, the main clandestine service, and his deputy, resigned this month.
The New York Times newspaper said on Thursday that the chiefs of the Europe and Far East divisions have also stepped down "in the latest sign of upheaval" at the CIA.