WASHINGTON– The Senate FY10 Intelligence Authorization bill cites findings of PNSR that point to the urgency of overhauling the country’s national security system. In its recently released authorization bill, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence quotes a section of PNSR’s preliminary findings entitled “Enduring Security in an Unpredictable World: the Urgent Need for National Security Reform.”

Title VI of the Intelligence authorization bill establishes the “Foreign Intelligence and Information Commission,” which would evaluate the collection, reporting and analysis of foreign intelligence and information and provide recommendations to improve or develop such processes or systems to include the development of an inter-agency strategy. The bill’s findings, which support the need for the commission, quote from PNSR’s preliminary report of July 2008:

(A) “The lack of a national security strategy that clearly links ends, ways, and means and assigned roles and responsibilities to each department has encouraged a proliferation of department-level strategies. These department strategies are uncoordinated and do not systematically generate capabilities required for national objectives.

(B) The resource allocation process is not driven by any overall national plan or strategy for achieving broad objectives, and the results or effectiveness of the budgeting process cannot be measured against such objectives.

(C) The national security system tends to overemphasize traditional security threats and under emphasize emerging challenges.”

PNSR Executive Director James R. Locher III said, “It is very gratifying to see that PNSR’s findings are bolstering these legislative steps aimed at reforming national security. PNSR is poised to assist both the legislative and executive branches as they move forward with this effort.”

Contact:
media@pnsr.org
Frances Hardin
(703)387-7613 (o)
(202)640-9387