September 11: Government failed to recognize the danger

The House of Representatives met Tuesday for what supporters of the intelligence reorganization bill expect will be the legislation's passage, thanks to a compromise that won the endorsement of House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter.

"I said I would sign the conference report when the Senate made the change," Hunter, R-California, said after a caucus meeting Tuesday. "They've done that. I've reviewed it, I've signed the conference report, and I'm going to vote for the bill", reports CNN.

The bill, sought by some of the families of Sept. 11 victims, would implement key recommendations made by the &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/368/9766_chile.html ' target=_blank>September 11 Commission and create a new director of national intelligence with strong budget powers to oversee the 15 spy agencies. It also creates a new counterterrorism center that would plan and help oversee counterterrorism operations.

It is the second major government restructuring since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the World Trade Center and &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/10/09/37957.html ' target=_blank>Pentagon that killed almost 3,000 people. Congress earlier created the Homeland Security Department that brought together various federal law enforcement agencies, informs Reuters.

The Sept. 11 commission, in its July report, said disharmony among the nation's 15 intelligence agencies contributed to the inability of government officials to stop the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.