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The United States Director of National
Intelligence praised the efforts of
U.S. security agencies and urged audience
members to consider a career in
government service in a speech Friday
at the Institute of Politics.
In the ticketed event, called “Global
Security Challenges Facing the Intelligence
Community” and held at the
John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, John D.
Negroponte said that greater coordination
between the different U.S. security
agencies has contributed to increased
safety.
The U.S. intelligence community is
“better coordinated, more vigilant, and
in that sense I think we’re safer than pre-
9/11,” Negroponte said. The position of
Director of National Intelligence was
created as a result of the recommendations
of the 9/11 Commission’s Report.
Negroponte also spoke about the
recruitment needs of the intelligence
community, particularly among college
students.
“With the end of the Cold War and
advent of the 1990s, there was a hollowing
out, if you will, of the national
security community” and Intelligence
Community, Negroponte said. “9/11
provoked an effort to try and rebuild
those capabilities, and we are still very
much ramping up the number of analysts
and intelligence collectors.”
“I hope that at least some of you
would pursue an interest in, a career in
government service,” he added.
Although Negroponte was a graduate
of Harvard’s Ivy rival Yale, he was
a Harvard graduate student for a brief
stint. Negroponte retold the story of
how he enrolled at Harvard Law School
46 years ago. He was only there for a
week, however, before learning that he
was admitted to the Foreign Service.
He said when he told the dean, Erwin
N. Griswold, that he was leaving,
Griswold gave him a look that suggested
Negroponte would regret the decision.
“So much for my legal career!” Negroponte
said.
Back in Washington, Negroponte,
a Bush appointee, may face challenges
working with the newly elected Democratic
Congress. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, DTexas,
an opponent of the Iraq war, is
slated to become chairman of the U.S.
House of Representatives Intelligence
Committee.
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