CNP Media Note: CNP President Roemer Comments on Swearing in of DNI McConnell

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

For Immediate Release

Washington, Feb. 20, 2007 / CNP Media Note / CNP President Tim Roemer made the following statement today:

On the swearing in of Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell:

“Admiral McConnell takes office at a moment when our intelligence community is undergoing significant leadership turnover,” Roemer said. “At a time when the al Qaeda network is demonstrating a growing capacity to regenerate cells, rebuild command and control and recruit globally, our intelligence community is playing musical chairs. Every senior leadership change in Washington has an impact on our capabilities. We need to make sure we’ve got the right people in the right jobs for a long enough term to be effective.”

Turnover has been rampant throughout the community. “They are playing musical chairs in the IC right now,” Roemer said. “The FBI has had six heads of its National Security Branch since 9/11. Since DCI George Tenet left Langley in 2004, CIA has had two directors and significant senior-level turnover. Ambassador Henry Crumpton, head of counterterrorism efforts at the State Department and a veteran of intelligence operations in Afghanistan, has just left. The DNI’s deputy slot has been empty since Gen. Michael Hayden left for the CIA. And the DIA has a new director.”

Roemer concluded: “At a time when the DNI should be focused on improving human intelligence, securing our satellites and disrupting al Qaeda, we’re sorting resumes and confirming replacements. I am confident that Admiral McConnell can make the right decisions as DNI and am glad that Secretary Gates wants to strengthen the DNI’s authorities. But improvements are less likely to happen if we don’t stop shuffling the chairs.”

CNP President Tim Roemer is a former member of the 9/11 Commission and former member of the House Select Intelligence Committee. From 1991-2003 he represented Indiana’s Third Congressional district.

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