While Congress debates the powers of the national counterterrorism center (NCTC), Bush's executive order authorized its establishment and has led to work that has been underway for the past two months.
Under Bush's order -- and the two bills in Congress -- the NCTC becomes the primary agency for analyzing intelligence from both foreign and domestic sources, and for planning strategic counterterrorism operations. The NCTC, which is being built upon the existing Terrorist Threat Integration Center, "may raise its flag in mid-November," a senior counterterrorism official said yesterday. Under Bush's order, it is supposed to report on its progress by Dec. 24, the official said.
An August executive order increased the power of CIA Director Porter J. Goss.
(Ray Lustig -- The Washington Post)
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Goss, under the Bush order, is to name an NCTC director with the approval of the president but will retain "authority, direction and control" over the center and its director. Under the Senate bill, however, the NCTC director would be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Under the House bill, the head of the counterterrorism center would be appointed by the new national intelligence director.
For now, the NCTC director will report to the DCI, Goss. But the Senate bill would have the NCTC director report directly to the president as well as to the NID. The NCTC director would also be "principal adviser" to the president on "joint operations relating to counterterrorism."
There are many more differences in the bills to be worked out by conferees from the House and the Senate, who are preparing for a possible meeting this week.
Because the bills are so large and complicated, it is considered doubtful that the normal materials prepared for conferees would be ready in time for such a meeting. According to one Senate aide, the Congressional Research Service cannot provide a "side-by-side" comparison of the two bills for at least three weeks.
Last week, Alberto Gonzales, chief White House counsel, told relatives of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks that the administration is not sure a bill can be finished by year's end, a source said.
Backroom negotiations have begun on Capitol Hill with White House lawyers and intelligence specialists working with members to find solutions. "The president wants a bill," White House spokesman Sean McCormack said.
