Amidst all the sound and fury surrounding the appointment of Gen. Michael V. Hayden to be the next Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) one seeks in vain for pertinent information. A lot of people don't know what the DCI's job is. 

Since the Intelligence reform & terrorism Prevention Act was signed into law on 17 Dec. 2004, there have been some changes in that job.  First, the Act established the new post of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) now held by John Negroponte.  The DNI nowserves as the president's principal advisor on intelligence matters. 

The DCI now reports to the DNI:   Gen. Hayden will report to his previous boss, Negroponte. Gen. Hayden's responsibilities as DCI will be the

collection of intelligence through human and other appropriate means; the correlation and evaluation of intelligence related to national security and the appropriate dissemination of such intelligence; overall direction for and coordination of the collection of national intelligence outside the US through human sources by elements of the intelligence community authorized to undertake such collection, and, in coordination with other departments, agencies, or elements of the US Government which are authorized to undertake such collection, ensure that the most effective use is made of resources and that appropriate account is taken of the risks to the United States  those involved in such collection, and to perform such other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security as the President or the National Intelligence Director may direct.

Here are pertinent, timely excerpts from remarks ()      by Pres. Bush on signing the Act:

A key lesson of September the 11th, 2001 is that America's intelligence agencies must work together as a single, unified enterprise. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 creates the position of Director of National Intelligence, or DNI, to be appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate.

The Director will lead a unified intelligence community and will serve as the principal advisor to the President on intelligence matters. The DNI will have the authority to order the collection of new intelligence, to ensure the sharing of information among agencies and to establish common standards for the intelligence community's personnel. It will be the DNI's responsibility to determine the annual budgets for all national intelligence agencies and offices and to direct how these funds are spent. These authorities vested in a single official who reports directly to me will make all our intelligence efforts better coordinated, more efficient, and more effective.

The Director of the CIA will report to the DNI. The CIA will retain its core of responsibilities for collecting human intelligence, analyzing intelligence from all sources, and supporting American interests abroad at the direction of the President.

The new law will preserve the existing chain of command and leave all our intelligence agencies, organizations, and offices in their current departments. Our military commanders will continue to have quick access to the intelligence they need to achieve victory on the battlefield. And the law supports our efforts to ensure greater information sharing among federal departments and agencies, and also with appropriate state and local authorities.

John B. Dwyer   5 10 06