Washington, DC – Following the release today of a report by the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, Senator Susan Collins released the following statement:
“The Commission’s report is important for us to understand fully how our Intelligence Community collects, analyzes, and disseminates information, particularly concerning the weapons of mass destruction programs of Iraq, North Korea, Libya, and Iran. I look forward to reviewing the Commissions’ report in detail.
“Upon initial review of the report, it appears sharply critical of the Intelligence Community’s past performance against these targets and also its capacity to perform successfully in the future against 21st Century threats. The report calls for greater integration across the Intelligence Community in order to improve its performance against these threats.
“The report’s recommendations build on the important reform initiatives established in the Collins-Lieberman Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which created a Director of National Intelligence (DNI) with significant authorities to manage, integrate, and improve the performance of the Intelligence Community. The report suggests practical steps for the new DNI to take in exercising his authorities under the Act.
“In addition, the report highlights the need for improved intelligence analysis, including the fostering of greater diversity of views and competitive analysis. The Collins-Lieberman intelligence reform bill mandates greater competitive analysis by requiring alternative analysis such as red-teams, regular evaluations of analytic products, and the designation of an ombudsman to monitor and investigate biased analysis.
“I share the Commission’s central conclusion, that our nation’s Intelligence Community needs fundamental change if it is to confront terrorism and other emerging national security threats successfully. The intelligence reform bill charts a course to fundamental change. The WMD report will help the DNI navigate that course successfully.”