Flanked by members of Congress, U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law Friday an intelligence reform bill that provides for a major restructuring of the nation's spy agencies in an effort to prevent future terrorist strikes. As first recommended by an independent commission that investigated the September 11th attacks, the new law also creates a single director of national intelligence to head the numerous agencies spread throughout the U.S. government responsible for intelligence gathering. The new director's real power rests in the fact that he or she will report directly to Bush and will control the purse strings for the 15 agencies he or she will oversee. A favourite parlour game has now begun in Washington, as the national press begins bantering around names of possible candidates for the position. Thus far, Bush has given no indication publicly of who he wants for the job. At a morning ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Bush said the key lesson of September 11th was that the "American intelligence agencies must work together." "We have strengthened the security of our nation's borders," he added. -
