Barbara Mikulski: “one of my top priorities is the real reform of our Nation's intelligence. The Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 was a…”

“one of my top priorities is the real reform of our Nation's intelligence. The Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 was a first step toward transforming the U.S. intelligence community. Information sharing will be strengthened, while diverse opinion and independent analysis will be protected. The single most important provision in the act was the creation of a Director of National Intelligence, who would have authority, responsibility, and financial control over the entire intelligence community. The President has nominated an experienced diplomat to be Director of National Intelligence. Ambassador John D. Negroponte has worked hard for his country and has made personal sacrifices. When his country called, he has exposed himself to hardship and danger most notably in Vietnam and in Iraq. He has also had extensive exposure to U.S. intelligence products and operations. He had intelligence coordination responsibilities in Washington on the National Security Council. He recently had responsibility for leading the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad during a time when intelligence on the Iraqi insurgency had the highest priority. Yet I have serious concerns with certain aspects of Ambassador Negroponte's record--particularly his actions while he was ambassador to Honduras. There is a serious discrepancy between his description of the Honduran government's human rights record during those years and that of the CIA Inspector General and nongovernmental organizations.…”