The US Senate Intelligence Committee has taken up legislation aimed at overhauling the US intelligence community, the panel's chairman announced in Washington.
The move Wednesday came as many experts accused US intelligence agencies of failing to discern the terrorist plot that resulted in the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York and a section of the Pentagon here, with the loss of thousands of lives.
Committee Chairman Bob Graham, a Florida Democrat, did not hide his frustration.
"Today we had four agencies who were all testifying about their particular part in this tragedy," he complained to reporters.
"There was not a single agency, much less a single individual, who could be looked to for ultimate accountability as to what has happened, analysis and a plan of action for the future," he said.
The US government runs a total of 13 intelligence-gathering organizations, most of which operate under the roofs of various agencies like the Departments of Defense, Treasury, Energy and State.
The Central Intelligence Agency is the only independent entity in this constellation.
Graham made clear he would like to have a single intelligence czar, preferably working out of the White House, who would be responsible for the whole community.
"This legislation is largely focused at reorganizing the intelligence communities in order to give a greater central focus of decision-making, or resource allocation and a single point of accountability," the senator said.
US intelligence experts have repeatedly complained that US intelligence agencies excessively rely on technical means of data collection such spy satellites and electronic eavesdropping devices, at the expense of human intelligence.
They say that the National Security Agency, the nation's premier electronic data gathering organization, is still not fully equipped for the Internet age, when increasing amounts of information move by e-mail rather than telephone of fax.
"The problem is the technologies that the NSA has largely been equipped to utilize," Graham complained -- WASHINGTON (AFP)
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