Director of National Intelligence: Difference between revisions

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The '''Director of National Intelligence''' ('''DNI''') is appointed by the [[President of the United States of America]], subject to approval by the [[U.S. Senate]].  The DNI heads the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), headquartered in McLean, Virginia (a suburb of [[Washington, D.C.]]).  As of 2024, the Office has about 1750 employees.   
The '''Director of National Intelligence''' ('''DNI''') is appointed by the [[President of the United States of America]], subject to approval by the [[U.S. Senate]]. The Director of National Intelligence is a cabinet-level position whose office-holder is not automatically a member of the president's cabinet, The DNI heads the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), headquartered in McLean, Virginia (a suburb of [[Washington, D.C.]]).  As of 2024, the Office has about 1750 employees.  The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created in 2004 by the ''Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act''<ref name=Law />


The organization was created by the [[Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004]] to integrate foreign, military and domestic intelligence because of the perception that the various United States Intelligence agencies had not shared information adequately to have prevented the 2001 [[9-11 Attack]], even though enough information likely existed in various pockets here and there to have understood the threat.  Critics say compromises during the bill's crafting led to the establishment of a DNI whose powers are too weak adequately to improve the performance of the US Intelligence Community.<ref>{{cite news | last=Kaplan | first=Fred | title=You Call That a Reform Bill? | date=7 December 2004 | publisher=Slate Magazine| url=http://www.slate.com/id/2110767/}}</ref>  In particular, the law left the United States Department of Defense in charge of the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. (The limited DNI role in leading the US Intelligence Community is discussed in the United States Intelligence Community|Intelligence Community article.)
Prior to 2004, the U.S. intelligence community's head was called the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and was simultaneously head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).  The 2004 law abolished the DCI position and created instead the "Director of the CIA" office which is subordinate to the Director of National Intelligence.  However, full budgetary authority over the intelligence agencies of the [[U.S. Department of Defense]] does ''not'' like with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, hence critics say that the DNI's powers are too weak adequately to improve the performance of the US Intelligence Community.<ref>{{cite news | last=Kaplan | first=Fred | title=You Call That a Reform Bill? | date=7 December 2004 | publisher=Slate Magazine| url=http://www.slate.com/id/2110767/}}</ref>  In particular, the law left the U.S. Department of Defense in charge of the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Monitoring the implementation of this Act is a responsibility of the [[House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]] and the [[Senate Select Committee on Intelligence]].


Prior to establishment of the DNI, the head of the United States Intelligence Community was the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), who  concurrently served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Congress specified that the Director and ''Principal Deputy'' Director cannot both be active-duty military officers and that one or the other should be a military intelligence officer, usually of four-star rank, or have extensive experience in military intelligence. {{UnitedStatesCode|50|403-3a}}


The Director of National Intelligence is a cabinet-level position reporting directly to the President but not automatically a member of the president's cabinet.
==References==
<references>


Congress specified that the Director and ''Principal Deputy'' Director cannot both be active-duty military officers and that one or the other should be a military intelligence officer, usually of four-star rank, or have extensive experience in military intelligence. {{UnitedStatesCode|50|403-3a}}
<ref name=Law>
The ''Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004'' (Public Law 108-458) was created because of the perception that the various U.S. Intelligence agencies had not shared information adequately to prevent the 2001 [[9-11 Attack]], even though enough information likely existed in various pockets here and there to have understood the threat. The new law also moved some community-related functions from the CIA to the ODNI. 
</ref>


==References==
</references>
{{Reflist|2}}

Revision as of 09:44, 21 April 2024

{{subpages} The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is appointed by the President of the United States of America, subject to approval by the U.S. Senate. The Director of National Intelligence is a cabinet-level position whose office-holder is not automatically a member of the president's cabinet, The DNI heads the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), headquartered in McLean, Virginia (a suburb of Washington, D.C.). As of 2024, the Office has about 1750 employees. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created in 2004 by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act[1]

Prior to 2004, the U.S. intelligence community's head was called the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and was simultaneously head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The 2004 law abolished the DCI position and created instead the "Director of the CIA" office which is subordinate to the Director of National Intelligence. However, full budgetary authority over the intelligence agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense does not like with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, hence critics say that the DNI's powers are too weak adequately to improve the performance of the US Intelligence Community.[2] In particular, the law left the U.S. Department of Defense in charge of the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Monitoring the implementation of this Act is a responsibility of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Congress specified that the Director and Principal Deputy Director cannot both be active-duty military officers and that one or the other should be a military intelligence officer, usually of four-star rank, or have extensive experience in military intelligence. 50 U.S.C. § 403-3a


References

  1. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458) was created because of the perception that the various U.S. Intelligence agencies had not shared information adequately to prevent the 2001 9-11 Attack, even though enough information likely existed in various pockets here and there to have understood the threat. The new law also moved some community-related functions from the CIA to the ODNI.
  2. Kaplan, Fred. You Call That a Reform Bill?, Slate Magazine, 7 December 2004.