Thompson Chairs Hearing on Nation's Intelligence Analysis
April 18, 2007
Today, Rep. Mike Thompson will lead his first hearing as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The hearing will focus on what our country's 16 intelligence agencies are doing to improve the quality of their intelligence analysis, the sharing of information across agencies, and training and career development for analysts.
“The best intelligence tools in the world are useless without the capability to effectively analyze information and provide it to policymakers,” said Thompson in preparation for the hearing. “It's critical that we continually assess the effectiveness of our agencies' intelligence analysis and make improvements where necessary. As Chairman, I'm dedicated to making strong intelligence analysis one of Congress' top priorities.”
During today's hearing, the subcommittee will discuss the 16 agencies' strategies and budget proposals for enhancing their intelligence analysis. The subcommittee will also evaluate the degree to which intelligence agencies have implemented provisions of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which required agencies to expand information sharing, make regular use of alternative analysis techniques, and improve multi-disciplinary training for intelligence analysts. The lead witness at the hearing will be Dr. Thomas Fingar, the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis. Thompson also asked senior intelligence officials from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Departments of State, Treasury and Energy to testify.
“Just because the activities of our intelligence agencies are often classified does not mean these agencies aren't accountable to the American public,” said Thompson. “Hearings like this one are an example of how Congress is working to make sure these agencies are using taxpayer dollars effectively to enhance national security.”
As Chairman, Thompson sets the agenda for subcommittee hearings. He plans to hold additional hearings on issues related to terrorism and the Intelligence Community's collection and analysis capabilities throughout the year.
“The best intelligence tools in the world are useless without the capability to effectively analyze information and provide it to policymakers,” said Thompson in preparation for the hearing. “It's critical that we continually assess the effectiveness of our agencies' intelligence analysis and make improvements where necessary. As Chairman, I'm dedicated to making strong intelligence analysis one of Congress' top priorities.”
During today's hearing, the subcommittee will discuss the 16 agencies' strategies and budget proposals for enhancing their intelligence analysis. The subcommittee will also evaluate the degree to which intelligence agencies have implemented provisions of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which required agencies to expand information sharing, make regular use of alternative analysis techniques, and improve multi-disciplinary training for intelligence analysts. The lead witness at the hearing will be Dr. Thomas Fingar, the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis. Thompson also asked senior intelligence officials from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Departments of State, Treasury and Energy to testify.
“Just because the activities of our intelligence agencies are often classified does not mean these agencies aren't accountable to the American public,” said Thompson. “Hearings like this one are an example of how Congress is working to make sure these agencies are using taxpayer dollars effectively to enhance national security.”
As Chairman, Thompson sets the agenda for subcommittee hearings. He plans to hold additional hearings on issues related to terrorism and the Intelligence Community's collection and analysis capabilities throughout the year.
Issues:Defense