18 May 2006
Hayden Says All Elements of U.S. Power Needed Against Terrorism
Terrorist capabilities have been much reduced in early phase of long war
By Jacquelyn S. Porth
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington – The war to defeat terrorism will be a long one, and not just a conventional war but a war of ideas, says Air Force General Michael Hayden, the president’s nominee for post of CIA director.
Hayden told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that the campaign against terrorism will not be one of “heat, blast and fragmentation” but will be part of a broader war of ideas that “has to be fought with all elements of American power.”
Hayden testified in public session for seven hours May 18 in an effort to gain support from committee members to be the next director of the CIA. He then participated in a closed, classified session with the committee for several more hours. (See related article.)
During the question-and-answer session, Hayden said it appears the number of terrorists taking part in the global war has increased, even though their capabilities are “much reduced.” He described the al-Qaida network as standing “on its back foot right now.”
INTELLIGENCE EXPERIENCE
The committee used its time with the president’s nominee to direct the CIA to examine Hayden’s credentials, which include 20 years working in the field of intelligence. He told committee members that he has carried out all kinds of tasks, including lying in the mud in Bulgaria to take photographs of Soviet MiG jets during the height of the Cold War.
If confirmed by the full Senate, Hayden said he will ensure there is “vigorous transparency” within the intelligence community about what is known and what is still unknown, so that policy-makers are not misled. He said dissenting views among analysts will not be abstracted or buried in footnotes. Policy-makers will see a greater difference in the tenor and texture of the intelligence assessments they receive, he added.
Hayden emphasized the importance of the CIA being less conservative in the information that it shares with the rest of the intelligence community, and also said that the broader community must strive to use common standards of analysis, similar language in describing threats and assets, and uniform formatting of reports.
Even though he is a four-star general, Hayden said he also has had experience working with civilians and will not be uncomfortable serving in a management position leading a civilian organization. He indicated that the CIA will grow larger and do more even as it contends with its most junior and least experienced analytical work force ever.
CONCERNS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Committee members questioned Hayden closely about past and present U.S. intelligence-gathering capabilities, especially about Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction program before the Iraq war. The Iraqi situation caused “a perfect storm” in the intelligence world, he said, and the mistake the CIA made was in looking at its evidence solely through the prism of its weapons analysts, without running it sufficiently through regional analysis.
He also was questioned about Iran’s weapons capabilities. He said steps have been taken not only to strengthen collection efforts, but also to redirect the emphasis of what is collected about Iran to four specific areas, which he did not identify in the open hearing.
Hayden acknowledged that Iran poses a different problem from that of Iraq and is a difficult target for intelligence-collection efforts. Asked about his level of confidence in the intelligence community’s assessment that Iran still is some years away from having nuclear weapons, he characterized himself as having somewhere between medium and high confidence in that analysis.
Hayden said lessons were learned from the intelligence failure regarding Iraq. It will not happen with Iran, he added. “We can’t be surprised again,” he said.
BROADER CONCERNS
Hayden identified four main threats that are the focus of intelligence efforts: counterterrorism, counterproliferation, Iran and the Korean Peninsula.
Committee members also used the session to question Hayden about the administration’s program to intercept telephone calls between al-Qaida suspects overseas and contacts in the United States, as well as another program to gather data from domestic telephone records.
Hayden said privacy issues and national security are balanced, and these efforts to prevent another terrorist attack on U.S. soil are being done within the boundaries of the law.
Senator Olympia Snowe told Hayden that members of Congress should not be viewed as adversaries of the Bush administration in the War on Terror because they are, in fact, allies. He pledged to be “as open as possible” in his dealing with Congress.
For more information about U.S. intelligence policy, see International Security.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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