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Skriven 2005-05-18 23:35:16 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (050518) for Wed, 2005 May 18
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President Honors National Intelligence Director and Deputy Director
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 18, 2005

President Honors National Intelligence Director and Deputy Director
NEOB Courtyard
Washington, D.C.





1:18 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. Thank you for being here. I am honored and
pleased to congratulate John Negroponte on becoming America's first
Director of National Intelligence. I also congratulate General Mike Hayden
on becoming on our nation's first Principal Deputy Director of National
Intelligence.

I want to thank Secretary of State Condi Rice and Secretary of Defense Don
Rumsfeld for joining us today. I appreciate Porter Goss, head of the
Central Intelligence Agency, for joining us; Robert Mueller, Director of
the FBI. I appreciate Senator Ted Stevens, Senate President Pro-Tem joining
us today, along with Senator Jay Rockefeller. Thank you both for being
here.

I want to thank Congressman Peter Hoekstra, Chairman of the House Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence, along with Congresswoman Jane Harman,
ranking member. Thank you both for coming. I appreciate Chuck Robb,
Co-Chairman of the WMD Commission, for joining us today. I want to thank
members of the intelligence community who have joined us. I thank the rest
of you for coming, too. (Laughter.)

Ambassador Negroponte's position is one of the newest in the government,
and one of the most demanding. Our nation is at war, and John is making
sure that those whose duty it is to defend America have the information we
need to make the right decisions. He's ensuring that our intelligence
agencies work as a single, unified enterprise. And he's serving as my
principal intelligence advisor. These are vital and urgent
responsibilities, and John has what it takes to fulfill them all.

In his distinguished career, John has represented America in eight nations
on three continents. He's served every President since Dwight Eisenhower.
Over the past four years, I've come to know John's wisdom, intellect and
integrity. I've relied on his candid judgment to help solve complicated
problems. I have witnessed his unique ability to bring people together,
most recently in his historic achievements as ambassador to a free Iraq.
I'm grateful to John for answering his nation's call. I thank his family
for joining us today.

John is fortunate to count on an experienced and capable deputy in General
Mike Hayden. General Hayden understands the intelligence community from the
ground up. He has a long record of wise and effective reform. Mike also has
a clear understanding of our enemies in the war on terror. He'll be a
superb deputy to Ambassador Negroponte. I thank Mike for his willingness to
serve, and I'm glad to see his family, as well.

As John Negroponte and Mike Hayden carry out their new duties, they're
relying on the thousands of dedicated professionals working in our
intelligence community. These men and women serve America with a wide
variety of talents and expertise. They all report to work everyday with the
same goal: to protect our fellow citizens from harm. Intelligence officers
work in secret, and often at great risk to their lives. Their vigilance and
bravery are vital to America's security. And on behalf of all Americans, I
thank them and their families for their service in the cause of freedom.

As Director of National Intelligence, John is taking action to help all who
serve in the intelligence community to do their jobs more effectively. He
has assembled a strong leadership team that reflects a wide range of skills
and intelligence experience. He's visited a number of intelligence
agencies, he's listened to experts in a variety of fields and he's made
reforms in the daily intelligence briefing. John recognizes and values the
contributions of all who collect and analyze intelligence. He will ensure
that they have access to the tools and information their missions demand.

In the days ahead, Ambassador Negroponte and General Hayden will continue
the structural reforms of our intelligence community that began after
September the 11th, 2001. We've now implemented the vast majority of the
9/11 Commission's recommendations through executive orders, and the
intelligence reform bill I signed last December.

My administration is also reviewing all the recommendations made by the
Silberman-Robb Commission on weapons of mass destruction. We have already
begun to implement a number of their recommendations. We will continue to
evaluate and act on the commission's useful blueprint to improve the
quality and quantity of intelligence we collect, and to be able to analyze
that information more thoroughly.

John Negroponte will also ensure the sharing of information among agencies
and establish common standards for the intelligence community's personnel.
I have confidence in John Negroponte and Mike Hayden to carry out these
vital missions. Well-integrated, effective intelligence efforts are
America's first line of defense against the threats of the 21st century.

I thank the Congress for creating the Director of National Intelligence
position and for swiftly confirming two talented, dedicated Americans to
lead our intelligence community. I look forward to working with this team
to improve our intelligence capabilities, and to use those capabilities to
win the war on terror.

Congratulations to both men. May God bless you and your families, and may
God continue to bless our country. (Applause.)

DIRECTOR NEGROPONTE: Thank you, Mr. President; members of the Cabinet who
are here today, members of the Congress, to my own family, dear friends and
colleagues -- especially my new colleagues in the intelligence community.

I've always felt that the greatest honor that could be bestowed on me by my
country is the opportunity to serve it. I felt this way as a junior Foreign
Service officer; I feel this way today as the Director of National
Intelligence. I can truthfully say that I've never really wanted to do
anything else -- whether I was stationed in Vietnam, in Greece, in Iraq, in
Mexico or here in Washington. Why? Because the United States represents
freedom, the United States represents peace, and the United States
represents opportunity. What greater privilege could any American enjoy
than to pursue a career representing a great nation based on values such as
these.

As parents, Diana and I want our five children to have as much freedom,
peace and opportunity as we, ourselves, have had. We know every other
American parent feels the same way. So I view the position of Director of
National Intelligence as a challenge, yes, but I'm grateful to you, Mr.
President, for asking me to accept it. In so doing, I am reassured by the
fact that I will be supported by tens of thousands of patriotic
professionals in the intelligence community who have dedicated their lives,
often at great personal risk, to the defense of our country and all that it
stands for.

I want to thank each and every one of you for being here today. Thank you
very much. (Applause.)

END 1:25 P.M. EST

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