Washington, DC – Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) today released a statement following the announcement by President Bush of his intention to nominate Vice Admiral John Redd to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
Senator Collins and Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) co-authored the National Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which created the NCTC and the ODNI, and which was signed into law by President Bush at the end of last year.
The following is Senator Collins’ statement:
“Vice Admiral Redd has a wealth of experience that should be valuable as the first Senate-confirmed leader of the NCTC, particularly his roles as a military leader and a consumer of national intelligence. His work with the Robb-Silberman Commission also gives him good insight into some of the important improvements that need to be made to reorganize and strengthen our intelligence community.
“The Director of the NCTC is responsible for ensuring that the agencies and elements of the Intelligence Community work together seamlessly to counter terrorism. As part of this effort, the NCTC will serve as the primary Executive Branch organization for analyzing counterterrorism intelligence. These functions are critical for the Intelligence Community to operate as a single, unified enterprise.
“In addition, the Director is responsible for providing strategic operational plans for civilian and military counterterrorism activities and operations. The Director will play a critical role in ensuring that all instruments of national power – including diplomatic, financial, military, intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement – are operating under a coherent and integrated game plan for fighting terrorism.”
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