GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE 155TH LANDON LECTURE ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS
THE LANDON LECTURES BEGAN IN 1966 BY THE LATE GOVERNOR ALF LANDON
AND THE LATE K-STATE PRESIDENT JAMES MCCAIN.
THE GOAL OF THE LANDON LECTURES
IS TO BRING THE MOST PROMINENT PUBLIC FIGURES
TO KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
TO DISCUSS THE PRESSING ISSUES
OF THE DAY.
WE ARE VERY PLEASED TODAY TO WELCOME
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
DENNIS BLAIR TO THE LANDON PODIUM
TO JOIN 154 PREDECESORS IN BRINGING HIS
THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS
ON IMPORTANT PUBLIC ISSUES.
BEFORE INTRODUCING MEMBERS OF THE
PLATFORM PARTY, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE SOME
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE.
DIANE BLAIR, WIFE OF DENNIS BLAIR
I ASK DIANE TO STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED
(APPLAUSE)
BRIGADIER GENERAL CHRIS CAIN DEAN OF ACADEMICS AT THE
COMMAND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE AT FORT LEAVENWORTH.
CHRIS, YOU GOT TO STAND UP.
(APPLAUSE)
CHRIS IS A FELLOW CHEMICAL ENGINEER
WE DON'T LISTEN ALL THAT WELL, SO ANYWAY
HAVE TO HAVE EXTRA ATTENTION AT TIMES.
MEMBERS OF THE PLATFORM PARTY BEHIND ME ON MY LEFT,
PROFESSOR MELODY LEHEW, PROFESSOR OF APPAREL TEXTILES AND
INTERIOR DESIGN AND PRESIDENT OF FACULTY SENATE.
DALTON HENRY SENIOR, OK...
(APPLAUSE)
I WAS GOING TO SAY HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE UNTIL
AFTER EVERYONE HAD BEEN INTRODUCED BUT I FORGOT THAT.
DALTON HENRY SENIOR IN AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS AND JOURNALISM
AND PRESIDENT OF THE K-STATE STUDENT BODY.
(APPLAUSE)
ON MY RIGHT, ED SEATON CHAIRMAN OF THE LANDON PATRONS
AND EDITOR AND CHIEF AND PUBLISHER OF THE MANHATTAN MERCURY.
(APPLAUSE)
AND DOCTOR CHARLES REAGAN CHIEF OF STAFF AND
CHAIRPERSON OF THE LANDON LECTURE SERIES.
(APPLAUSE)
IT'S MY DISTINCT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE GENERAL RICHARD B. MYERS
WHO WILL ACTUALLY INTRODUCE DIRECTOR BLAIR.
GENERAL MYERS IS THE MOST FAMOUS GRADUATE
OF OUR OUTSTANDING R.O.T.C. PROGRAM,
RISING TO THE RANKS TO FOUR STAR GENERAL
AND CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.
IN THAT CAPACITY SERVED AS THE
PRINCIPAL MILITARY ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT,
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE,
AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNSEL.
GENERAL MYERS SERVED TWO TERMS AS CHAIRMAN OF THE
JOINT CHIEFS AND ONE TERM AS VICE CHAIRMAN.
GENERAL MYERS IS A COMMAND PILOT
WITH MORE THAN FOUR THOUSAND HOURS
IN A WIDE VARIETY OF FIGHTERS,
INCLUDING SIX HUNDRED COMBAT HOURS IN F4 PHANTOM.
HE HOLDS THE COLIN POWELL CHAIR
AT THE NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY
AND IS A MEMBER OF SEVERAL CORPORATE
AND CHARITABLE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS.
HE SERVES AS SECRETARY AT THE KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY,
AND STAFF GENERAL MYERS HOLDS THE POSITION
OF FOUNDATION PROFESSOR, A MILITARY HISTORY IN LEADERSHIP,
AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY.
LET ME ASK DICK TO COME FORWARD TO INTRODUCE DIRECTOR BLAIR.
(APPLAUSE)
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH PRESIDENT SCHULTZ.
WELL IT'S INDEED MY HONOR TO BE
ABLE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU TODAY
DIRECTOR DENNIS C. BLAIR,
AS THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
PROBABLY THIS IS IN YOUR PROGRAM,
BY THE WAY THANK YOU FOR BEING SO BRAVE
BRAVING THE COLD, BOMB THREATS,
AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO SHOW UP, THIS IS TERRIFIC.
DIRECTOR BLAIR STARTED HIS MILITARY CAREER
OFF AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY WHERE,
IT PROBABLY DOESN'T SAY IN THE PROGRAM,
HE WAS A SOCCER STAR.
HE MUST HAVE DONE FAIRLY WELL ACADEMICALLY BECAUSE
HE GOT HIS ADVANCED DEGREE AT OXFORD AS A RHODES SCHOLAR.
I THINK HE HAD... I WOULD CHARACTERIZE HIS MILITARY CAREER
AS ONE OF JUST A TOTAL AMAZING CAREER
INCLUDING A WHITE HOUSE FELLOWSHIP. AND I THINK DENNY WE FIRST MET WHEN HE HAD THE KITTY HAWK BATTLE
GROUP OFF OF JAPAN AND I WAS
THE COMMANDER OF U.S. FORCES JAPAN.
AND WE FLEW OUT TO THE SHIP,
I THINK THERE WAS AN EXERCISE GOING ON.
THAT'S MY FIRST MEMORY OF THEN ADMIRAL BLAIR BEING IN CHARGE
AND DOING WHAT HE PROBABLY LOVED TO DO BEST AND THAT IS
HAVE COMMAND OF A BATTLE GROUP.
WE WENT FROM THOSE ASSIGNMENTS TO
THE JOINT STAFF, WHERE HE WAS DIRECTOR OF
THE JOINT STAFF AND IT'S A LITTLE
PEDANTIC BUT THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION
ON THE JOINT STAFF,THE DIRECTOR. IT'S THE CHIEF OF STAFF
OF THE JOINT STAFF AND IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION. I HAD THE ASSISTANT TO THE CHAIRMAN POSITION
THAT WAS A MUCH EASIER POSITION THAN DENNY'S.
BUT HIS LAST ASSIGNMENT WAS AS COMMANDER OF PACIFIC COMMAND.
AND WE HAVE FOUR GEOGRAPHICAL
COMMANDS IN THE UNITED STATES AND
THE PACIFIC COMMAND IS THE LARGEST.
AND I WATCHED AS THE VICE CHAIRMAN
AND CHAIRMAN AS THEN ADMIRAL BLAIR HANDLED THOSE
RESPONSIBILITIES IN A TRUELY REMARKABLE WAY.
HE HAD TWO VERY SERIOUS CRISES, WHILE HE WAS...
WELL MAYBE MORE THAN THAT.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT ONE IN
INDONESIA AND EAST TIMOR, BUT
THE TWO THAT STAND OUT IN MY MIND ARE...
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE
OUR E.P.3 RECONNAISSANCE AIRPLANE
WAS HIT BY A CHINESE FIGHTER AND
HAD TO MAKE A FORCE LANDING ON HAINAN.
OF COURSE THE PILOT OF THE CHINESE FIGHTER WAS WONG WANG
WHICH UNFORTUNATELY, (LAUGHING)
BUT WE LAUGH AND IT IS KIND OF FUNNY ON ONE LEVEL
ON THE OTHER HAND HE GAVE HIS
LIFE FOR DOING THAT TOO BUT...
THE CREW AND THE PILOT OF THAT E.P.3
WERE LUCKY TO HAVE SURVIVED IT.
AND ADMIRAL BLAIR WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS NEW BUSH ADMINISTRATION
THIS HAPPENED IN APRIL 2001. SO THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
STILL GETTING THEIR FEET ON THE GROUND.
AND THE PRESIDENT OF CHINA,
HE WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY, SO THERE WAS...
THE CRISIS WAS NOT HANDLED WELL ON EITHER END OF HIS SPECTRUM.
AND YET IT ALL TURNED OUT
SUCCESSFULLY IN THE END.
IN MY VIEW OF THAT IT'S BECAUSE
OF ADMIRAL BLAIR'S ROCK SOLID INTEGRITY
AND HIS IMPECCABLE JUDGEMENT.
HE RETIRED IN 2002
FROM THE MILITARY AT THE END OF A
THIRTY FOUR YEAR CAREER. AND IF THAT WERE THE END
OF HIS PUBLIC SERVICE, THEN I THINK WE CAN ALL
SAY AMERICA OWES HIM A DEBT OF GRATITUDE.
BUT THERE'S MORE TO COME.
SO HE AND DIANE WERE THEN
DOING A VARIETY OF THINGS AND DIANE WAS INTRODUCED,
HIS WIFE OF FOURTY YEARS, I THINK
AS I REMEMBER YOU TOLD ME DENNY.
SHE SHARED MOST OF THIS
WONDERFUL CAREER AND LIFE THAT
NOW DIRECTOR BLAIR HAS HAD.
HE WAS THE PRESIDENT FOR THE
INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSIS.
ONE OF THE PREMIER THINK TANKS THAT DOES A LOT OF
ANALYSIS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND OTHERS
THERE IN WASHINGTON D.C.
HE HAD THE GENERAL SHALIKASHVILI CHAIR
OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF ASIAN RESERCH.
HE DID SOME TEACHING.
AND PROBABLY, NOT LEAST OF IMPORTANTLY,
BUILT THEIR DREAM HOUSE
IN PENNSYLVANIA. JUST FAR ENOUGH FROM WASHINGTON D.C.
WHERE THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF A COMMUTE.
BUT AMERICA... SO WE COULD HAVE SAID,
WELL DONE.
A FAITHFUL SERVANT, BUT AMERICA WASN'T
DONE WITH ADMIRAL BLAIR AT THAT POINT.
SO ALMOST SEVEN YEARS AFTER LEAVING THE
MILITARY AND HIS COMMAND, PACIFIC COMMAND
HE WAS CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE AND
SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT OBAMA'S CHOICE
FOR THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE THIRD PERSON THAT HAS HELD
THIS POSITION. AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THE OFFICE
OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
WAS CREATED AFTER 9/11,
AND PARTICULARLY AFTER 9/11
COMMISION REPORT ABOUT THE INTELLIGENCE FAILURES
AND FIXES THAT THEY THOUGHT WERE
REQUIRED TO BRING ALL SIXTEEN ELEMENTS OF OUR
U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE APPARATUS TOGETHER.
THIS IS A VERY DAUNTING TASK.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANYBODY
IN GOVERNMENT THAT HAS
A BIGGER RESPONSIBILITY.
ALL OF US HERE IN THIS AUDITORIUM,
FOR THAT MATTER ALL AMERICANS
AND ALL OF OUR ALLIES
COUNT AND RELY ON DIRECTOR BLAIR'S LEADERSHIP
IN THIS VERY VERY IMPORTANT AREA
TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT RIGHT.
AS HE WOULD TELL YOU, THE IMPORTANT
THING THAT HE HAS TO INSURE IS
THAT THOSE TO GATHER AND ANALYSE OUR
INTELLIGENCE DO SO IN A TIMELY, ACCURATE, OBJECTIVE
AND RELEVANT MANNER.
JUST TO SUM IT UP,
I THINK DIRECTOR BLAIR
AND HIS WIFE DIANE
EPITOMIZE THE COURAGE AND
THE SERVICE AND SACRAFICE
THAT WE ONLY FIND IN OUR
MOST OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVANTS.
IT'S INDEED AN HONOR TO INTRODUCE TO YOU TODAY
THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE,
MY FORMER COLLEAGUE AND
MY FRIEND, DENNIS C. BLAIR.
(APPLAUSE)
GENERAL MYERS, THANK YOU
FOR THAT KIND INTRODUCTION.
IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO HAVE SUCH A DISTINGUISHED
K-STATE GRAD AS A FORMER COLLEAGUE
AND, AS YOU HEARD,
SUCH A GOOD FRIEND.
I'D DONE A LITTLE
INTELLIGENCE ON THIS OCCASION,
AND I WAS TOLD THAT BOMB THREATS
WERE PRIMARILY AN EXAM-WEEK PHENOMENON.
(LAUGHTER.)
SO I THOUGHT I WAS SAFE,
BUT OBVIOUSLY, THAT
WASN'T VERY ACCURATE EITHER.
BUT THANKS VERY MUCH TO ALL
OF YOU FOR YOUR FLEXIBILITY IN CHANGING VENUES,
AND FOR STICKING WITH IT. I'LL BE SIGNING CLASS EXCUSES
TO MISS THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON,
HERE, RIGHT AFTER THESE REMARKS --
FOR THOSE WHO ARE DOING IT.
BUT AS SOMEONE WHO'S SPOKEN HERE BEFORE,
GENERAL MYERS KNOWS THE PRESSURE I'M FEELING RIGHT NOW,
HAVING TO FOLLOW IN THE DISTINGUISHED FOOTSTEPS
OF SUCH RENOWNED PUBLIC SERVANTS
AS SENATOR BOB DOLE,
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE BOB GATES.
I MIGHT ADD, THESE WERE NATIVE KANSANS,
WHO HAD AN INHERENT ADVANTAGE.
I GREW UP AS THE SON OF A SAILOR, SO KANSAS IS A LITTLE
FAR FROM THE COAST FOR MY NORMAL RUN.
BUT PRESIDENT SCHULTZ, DR. REAGAN,
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE WORD OUT
ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS THAT THE
U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IS DOING NOW.
BUT BACK TO GENERAL MYERS.
I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW --
AND WE HEARD IN THE INTRODUCTION --
THAT DICK IS A FIGHTER PILOT,
WHICH MEANS THAT EVEN
WHEN HE'S ON THE GROUND,
HE LIKES TO DRIVE FAST IN HIS
CORVETTE AROUND NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
AND YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN HIM AT
THE ANNUAL HARLEY DAYS FOOTBALL GAME,
RIDING HIS BIKE AROUND THE BILL.
WELL, HE'S ALSO PRETTY
WELL KNOWN IN THE D.C. AREA
FOR RIDING THAT BIKE DURING
THE ROLLING THUNDER RUN,
WHICH IS WHEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF BIKERS CONVERGE
ON OUR NATION'S CAPITAL ON MEMORIAL DAY,
AND THEY RIDE TOGETHER TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE EFFORTS
TO FIND VETERANS WHO ARE STILL MISSING,
FROM OUR PAST CONFLICTS. WHEN GENERAL MYERS WAS CHAIRMAN OF
THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF,
ON THOSE DAYS, HE ALWAYS
LEFT HIS BLACK SUV BACK HOME,
WOULD RIDE HIS HARLEY IN, AND RODE AROUND WITH THOSE
WHO WERE SUPPORTING THE VETERANS.
NOW, I'M NOT A BIKER MYSELF, BUT I CAN APPRECIATE THE
INTELLIGENCE THAT GENERAL MYERS GATHERED ON THE ROAD.
AND I RECENTLY FOUND A DOCUMENT IN
HIS OWN OFFICE THAT I SWIFTLY DECLASSIFIED,
JUST SO I COULD SHARE IT WITH YOU.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I DO.
(LAUGHTER.)
IT WAS CALLED "RICHARD'S RULES OF THE ROAD,"
AND IT CONTAINED A NUMBER OF NUGGETS
OF WISDOM DISTILLED OVER THE AGES,
SUCH AS, WHEN YOU'RE RIDING
IN THE LEAD, DON'T SPIT.
(LAUGHTER.)
WELL-TRAINED REFLEXES ARE QUICKER THAN LUCK.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE CRASHED,
AND THOSE WHO WILL CRASH.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING,
LOOK AT LEAST FIVE CARS AHEAD.
AND NEVER BE ASHAMED TO UNLEARN AN OLD HABIT.
SO DICK, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WISDOM,
AND OF COURSE, FOR THE FRIENDSHIP OVER MANY YEARS.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE
OTHER LEADERS HERE FROM MANY FIELDS --
ACADEMIA, BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT --
AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A FEW OTHER FRIENDS WHO ARE WITH US:
RANDY O'BOYLE OF THE I.C.E. CORPORATION,
WHO WORKED WITH ME IN THE PACIFIC COMMAND
AND THEN HEADED THE AIR FORCE R.O.T.C. PROGRAM
HERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS;
DALE HERSPRING, DALE -- ALSO THERE --
A COLLEAGUE, AGAIN, OF MANY YEARS,
WHO INVITED ME FOR MY FIRST
VISIT HERE TO KANSAS STATE, IN 2002.
DALE IS A VERY DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR
OF THE SOVIET UNION AND OF RUSSIA.
WE ONCE TOOK A TRIP TOGETHER OVER TO RUSSIA.
SO AGAIN, GREAT TO BE BACK, GREAT TO BE BACK WITH FRIENDS.
I NEED TO SAY A SPECIAL WELCOME TO
THOSE FROM THE K-STATE R.O.T.C. PROGRAM,
FROM FORT LEAVENWORTH, AND ALL THE SOLDIERS
HERE FROM THE BIG RED ONE AT FORT RILEY, AND OFTEN,
WHO ARE HERE BY WAY OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
I BELIEVE THE HEADQUARTERS IS ACTUALLY IN IRAQ RIGHT NOW.
SO MY BACKGROUND IS NAVY,
BUT, WITH JOINT ASSIGNMENTS,
I HAVE LEARNED TO SPEAK A LITTLE ARMY: HOO-AH.
(LAUGHTER.)
AND YOU HONOR US ALL WITH YOUR PRESENCE;
WE THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING.
(APPLAUSE.)
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SORT OF WARM GREETING
IS ACTUALLY TYPICAL OF THE WAY
OUR TROOPS ARE SUPPORTED IN THIS AREA,
DAY-IN AND DAY-OUT.
JUNCTION CITY AND MANHATTAN HAVE BECOME FAMOUS FOR
THEIR HOSPITALITY AND THEIR CARE FOR THE BIG RED ONE
REALLY, A REMARKABLE RELATIONSHIP.
AND RIGHT HERE AT K-STATE,
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE SPORTS TEAMS
AND FIRST [INFANTRY] DIVISION UNITS
WITH PERSONAL VISITS BACK AND FORTH, TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE
IN THE OTHER PERSON'S SHOES, OR CLEATS, OR BOOTS.
AND VIDEOS OF THE LATEST GAMES THAT ARE SENT OUT
TO THE UNITS WHEN THEY'RE ON DEPLOYMENT.
THE FOOTBALL TEAM IS PARTNERED WITH THE
1ST OF THE 28TH INFANTRY BLACK LIONS,
THE BASEBALL TEAM WITH THE 2ND
OF THE 16TH INFANTRY RANGERS,
THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM WITH
THE 1ST SUSTAINMENT BRIGADE,
AND THE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM WITH THE
1ST OF THE 7TH FIELD ARTILLERY,1ST LIGHTNING.
THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE
I'VE HEARD THAT HAS SUCH A WONDERFUL PROGRAM
SIMPLY AMAZING AND WONDERFUL.
AND PRESIDENT SCHULTZ, THANK YOU,
AND WE ALL APPRECIATE IT,
WHO HAVE SERVED TIME IN UNIFORM.
SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT REALLY IS A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE,
AS YOU CAN SEE, FOR ME TO BE
HERE AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY.
I'VE BEEN TREMENDOUSLY IMPRESSED
BY THIS INSTITUTION
NOT JUST THE BEAUTIFUL LIMESTONE CAMPUS,
YOUR MANY RHODES SCHOLARS,
YOUR NATIONALLY RANKED SECURITY STUDIES PROGRAM
BUT I'M REALLY IMPRESSED BY
THE BREADTH OF WHAT YOU DO,
THIS BROAD RANGE OF ISSUES THAT
YOU ENGAGE THE LIFE OF THE UNIVERSITY.
GROUNDED IN KANSAS, OFFERING AN OUTSTANDING
EDUCATION TO YOUNG KANSANS AND
OTHER STUDENTS FROM AROUND THIS
COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD,
YOU'RE WORKING ON THE BIG ISSUES THAT FACE OUR COUNTRY
BOTH HERE AT HOME AND INTERNATIONALLY.
NOW, THIS AFTERNOON, I'D LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY:
WHO WE ARE, WHAT IT IS WE DO, AND SOME OF THE
ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN, BEFORE LEAVING THIS ROOM, I'D LIKE
TO MAKE A SHAMELESS PITCH TO SOME OF YOU TO
COME JOIN US IN THE IMPORTANT WORK OF INTELLIGENCE.
FIRST, A QUICK DESCRIPTION OF
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY THAT I LEAD AS
THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE, INTEL 101.
AS GENERAL MYERS MENTIONED,
WE'RE 16 DIFFERENT AGENCIES
MOSTLY PARTS OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF OUR GOVERNMENT,
BUT ONE, THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, INDEPENDENT.
THE C.I.A. IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE RECRUITING SPIES
AND ALSO FOR TAKING THE INFORMATION
COLLECTED BY ALL THE AGENCIES
TO PRODUCE ANALYSES FOR POLICYMAKERS
AND FOR AMERICAN OFFICIALS IN THE FIELD.
FOUR OF THE BIGGEST AGENCIES ARE
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY, RESPONSIBLE
FOR GATHERING COMMUNICATIONS INTELLIGENCE
VOICE, VIDEO, DATA --
FROM AROUND THE WORLD;
THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL AGENCY PRODUCES ANALYSES,
PICTURES TAKEN BY SATELLITES AND AIRCRAFT,
STILLS AND VIDEOS, AND TURNS THEM INTO REPORTS AND MAPS;
THE DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
ALSO PRODUCES ALL-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE,
PRIMARILY SERVING MILITARY OFFICERS,
MILITARY OFFICIALS AND UNITS IN THE FIELD;
THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE
LAUNCHES AND OPERATES THE SATELLITES THAT COLLECT
INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION FROM ON ORBIT.
TWO ORGANIZATIONS IN THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY FOCUS ON THE UNITED STATES:
THE F.B.I., RESPONSIBLE FOR GATHERING
INTELLIGENCE ON THREATS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES,
AND THE INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS DIVISION
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY,
WHICH IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR
TRACKING THREATS IN THIS COUNTRY,
AND FOR WORKING CLOSELY WITH STATE,
LOCAL AND TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THAT LEAVES EIGHT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY INCLUDE THE INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATIONS FROM EACH
OF THE FIVE ARMED FORCES
AND FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
A FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY,
A NUCLEAR INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY,
AND THE INTELLIGENCE ARM OF THE
DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION.
SO JUST THIS SIMPLE DESCRIPTION
OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY ILLUSTRATES
THE COMPLEXITY INVOLVED IN BRINGING THEM TOGETHER.
AND THE KEY IS TO INTEGRATE THESE
16 ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT THE AMAZING,
DIFFERENT CAPABILITIES AND SKILLS THAT THEY
BRING ARE FOCUSED ON THE RIGHT MISSIONS
AND THAT THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER. AND THAT'S REALLY MY JOB
AS THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO SET THE
OVERALL GOALS FOR THE INTELLIGENCE ENTERPRISE,
AND WE'VE DONE THAT IN OUR
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE STRATEGY.
THERE ARE FOUR. THE FIRST IS TO
ENABLE WISE NATIONAL SECURITY POLICIES.
WE DO THAT BY CONTINUALLY MONITORING
AND ASSESSING THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ENVIRONMENT,
SO THAT WE CAN WARN POLICYMAKERS OF THE THREATS;
WE CAN ALSO ALERT THEM TO THE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE PROVIDE DAILY INTELLIGENCE
BRIEFINGS TO THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF,
AND WE'RE A MEMBER OF THE TEAMS
IN WASHINGTON THAT WORK OUT POLICIES
ON EVERYTHING FROM NORTH KOREA
AND IRAN THROUGH CYBER-SECURITY,
CLIMATE CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS. AND REMEMBER THAT
OUR JOB ISN'T TO DECIDE THESE POLICIES,
BUT OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THERE'S THE BEST POSSIBLE
INFORMATION SO THAT THOSE
WHO DO CAN MAKE WISE POLICIES.
NOW, OUR SECOND GOAL IS TO SUPPORT
EFFECTIVE NATIONAL SECURITY ACTION,
AND THAT MEANS DELIVERING ACTIONABLE
INTELLIGENCE TO DIPLOMATS, MILITARY UNITS,
INTERAGENCY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE FIELD,
AND TO DOMESTIC LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THIS INCLUDES LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS
SUPPORTING OUR EMBASSIES IN KABUL,
IN BAGHDAD, THE PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAMS THROUGHOUT
AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ,
AND THE MILITARY UNITS THAT -- RIGHT NOW --
ARE DRIVING THE TALIBAN OUT OF HELMAND PROVINCE.
OUR THIRD GOAL IS TO DELIVER BALANCED
AND IMPROVING CAPABILITIES
SO THAT THE FUTURE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
CAN BE EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TODAY'S.
WE NEED TO MAKE TOUGH CHOICES TO INVEST
IN THE RIGHT NEW SATELLITES,
SUPERCOMPUTERS, INFORMATION NETWORKS,
SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT AND SOFTWARE PROGRAMS,
TO MAKE OUR INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS EVEN
MORE CAPABLE IN THE NEXT GENERATION.
AND OUR FOURTH STRATEGIC GOAL IS TO
FUNCTION AS AN INTEGRATED TEAM.
NOW, THESE FOUR GOALS FOR THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY SEEM FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
BACK DURING THE COLD WAR, WHEN OUR FUNDAMENTAL
INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION WAS PUT TOGETHER,
THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN RELEVANT.
WHAT'S CHANGED?
WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN THREE MAJOR
SEISMIC SHIFTS SINCE THAT TIME THAT
HAVE MADE A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE
TO THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
THESE HINGE POINTS HAVE AFFECTED ALL
OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS,
BUT THEY'VE BEEN ESPECIALLY
IMPORTANT FOR INTELLIGENCE.
LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO THE VERY
FIRST WORDS EVEN UTTERED IN A LANDON LECTURE,
IN 1966, BY GOVERNOR ALF LANDON HIMSELF. HE SAID,
"WE MUST FACE THE CHALLENGES OF
NEW REALITIES OF INTERNATIONAL LIFE TODAY."
TWENTY-THREE YEARS AFTER HE SPOKE THOSE WORDS,
THERE WAS A BIG NEW REALITY
THE BERLIN WALL CAME DOWN.
BEFORE THEN, OUR INTELLIGENCE MISSION WAS
TO STEAL SECRETS ABOUT THE SOVIET UNION.
WE RECRUITED SPIES AND EDUCATED ANALYSTS
TO UNDERSTAND ITS LEADERSHIP INTENTIONS,
ITS MILITARY CAPABILITIES,
ITS ACTIONS AROUND THE WORLD.
WE TRAINED THOUSANDS OF RUSSIAN LINGUISTS.
WE DUG LONG TUNNELS TO TAP THE
CENTRAL PHONE EXCHANGE IN EAST BERLIN.
WE BUILT A HUGE SHIP AND DISGUISED IT AS
A MANGANESE MINING VESSEL
JUST TO PICK UP A SINGLE SOVIET
SUBMARINE ON THE FLOOR OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
WHEN THE COLD WAR ENDED, IT AFFECTED
OUR ENTIRE APPROACH TO INTELLIGENCE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE 1980S, OUR PRIMARY FOCUS
IN INTELLIGENCE ON LATIN AMERICA
WAS ON WHAT THE SOVIETS WERE DOING
IN CUBA AND NICARAGUA AND GRENADA.
BUT NOW, AFTER THE COLD WAR,
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE COUNTRIES AND
TRENDS IN THE REGION MUCH
MORE DEEPLY IN THEIR OWN TERMS,
AS WELL AS IN TERMS OF THE THREATS
AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY OFFER FOR THE UNITED STATES.
LET'S LOOK AT JUST ONE COUNTRY: COLOMBIA.
IT MATTERS BECAUSE IT'S THE PRIMARY SOURCE
OF COCAINE COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES.
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IS EXPECTED TO
PROVIDE ANALYSES OF THE DRUG ORGANIZATIONS THERE,
THE GOVERNMENT, ARMED FORCES, COLOMBIA'S RELATIONS
TO THE REGION, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC TRENDS.
THIS INTELLIGENCE IS ESSENTIAL TO SOLID
AMERICAN POLICIES FOR COLOMBIA.
IN ADDITION, THE UNITED STATES HAS ASSISTED AND
IS STILL ASSISTING COLOMBIA TO DEFEAT THE FARC ORGANIZATION.
AND INTELLIGENCE PLAYS A ROLE THERE.
SO ALTHOUGH THE END OF THE WAR
LIFTED A HUGE THREAT FROM THE UNITED STATES --
THE THREAT FROM A GLOBAL COMPETITOR
THAT COULD DESTROY THIS COUNTRY --
IT ACTUALLY MADE THE JOB OF INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES
MUCH MORE COMPLEX, AND IN MANY WAYS, MORE DIFFICULT.
WE'D BEEN SET UP TO FOCUS RELENTLESSLY ON A
SINGLE ADVERSARY OVER A
LONG PERIOD OF TIME. ALL OF A SUDDEN,
WE HAD TO KEEP WATCH ON THE ENTIRE WORLD
IN A MUCH MORE DETAILED AND DYNAMIC WAY,
UNCOVERING THREATS TO OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS,
BEING ALERT FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVANCE THOSE INTERESTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, SINCE THE END OF THE COLD WAR,
DEPENDING ON HOW YOU COUNT,
THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN
ABOUT 15 MAJOR DEPLOYMENTS OF MILITARY FORCE.
MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN TO PLACES THAT WE
WOULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED IN THE 1980S --
BOSNIA, EAST TIMOR, IRAQ, PANAMA. AND FOR ALL
THESE MILITARY ENGAGEMENTS,
AND FOR MANY MORE AREAS IN WHICH
THERE ARE CRISES AND TENSIONS,
BUT WHICH WE DID NOT TAKE MILITARY ACTION,
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN
CALLED ON TO UNDERSTAND THE SOCIETY,
THE ISSUES, THE COUNTRY, THE REGION,
AS PRESIDENTS AND
THEIR ADVISERS HAVE MADE DECISIONS ABOUT
WHETHER WE SHOULD USE MILITARY FORCE,
DIPLOMATIC TOOLS, ECONOMIC TOOLS.
AND THEN ONCE A DECISION IS MADE
THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL ACT,
THEN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
WAS CALLED ON FOR VERY FINE-GRAINED,
DETAILED INTELLIGENCE IMPORTANT
FOR THE WORK OF DIPLOMATS,
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKERS, AND SOLDIERS TO BRING
CRISES TO AN END,
TO STABILIZE TROUBLED SOCIETIES,
AND TO ESTABLISH LONGER-TERM ARRANGEMENTS
TO PUT THOSE COUNTRIES ON THEIR FEET.
THE SECOND HINGE POINT, TURNING ABOUT
THE SAME TIME THAT THE COLD WAR WAS ENDING,
HAS BEEN THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION.
IN THE 1980S, THE FIRST INFORMATION NETWORKS
BEGAN TO BE DEPLOYED IN A SERIOUS WAY.
NOW, IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT AN
INFORMATION REVOLUTION WOULD
SHAKE THE BUSINESS OF
INTELLIGENCE TO ITS VERY CORE.
AFTER ALL, INTELLIGENCE IS ABOUT
INFORMATION -- COLLECTING IT, SHARING IT, USING IT.
NETWORKS CHANGED OUR ACCESS TO INFORMATION
AND THEY CHANGED OUR ACCESS TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND THEY TOTALLY CHANGED HOW WE DO BUSINESS.
BUILDING AND USING DATA SOURCES, SENDING E-MAILS,
SHARING AUDIO AND VIDEO FILES --
SO THAT WE CAN WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND QUICKER,
AND SO THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE VIRTUAL TEAMS OF
INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS LINKED TOGETHER AROUND THE WORLD.
LIKE MOST CATCHPHRASES, THE TERM
"CONNECT THE DOTS" IS OVERUSED,
OFTEN MISUSED; BUT IT HAS
A LARGE GRAIN OF TRUTH.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY DATA SOURCES,
SOME OF THEM THAT INTELLIGENCE
AGENCIES THEMSELVES MAINTAIN,
LIKE OUR FILES OF SATELLITE IMAGERY,
WHICH GO BACK DECADES. SOME OF THEM
ARE AVAILABLE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN,
LIKE RESEARCH PAPERS ON
SOCIETIES IN FARAWAY COUNTRIES.
AND THE CHALLENGE IS TO
FIND THE RIGHT INFORMATION,
TO UNDERSTAND ITS VALIDITY,
AND TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT,
AND TO GET THAT DONE IN TIME
FOR A POLICYMAKER IN WASHINGTON
OR AN OFFICER IN THE FIELD
TO BE ABLE TO USE IT.
WE USE MANY OF THE TOOLS THAT
ARE FAMILIAR TO YOU AT K-STATE.
WE HAVE AN A-SPACE, OR ANALYTIC-SPACE,
WHERE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST
ARE FORMED BY ANALYSTS FROM
DIFFERENT AGENCIES WHO
FOLLOW A PARTICULAR ISSUE
AND CAN POST INFORMATION AND IDEAS.
IT'S LIKE MYSPACE OR FACEBOOK.
WE USE WEB SITES THAT
LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT YOU PROBABLY USE TO KEEP
UP WITH YOUR PARTICULAR
FIELDS OF INTEREST,
RSS FEEDS COMING IN WITH
NEW INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT,
HYPERLINKED ACCESS TO PREVIOUS WORK
THAT HAD BEEN DONE ON THAT SUBJECT.
BUT UNLIKE THE OPEN ACADEMIC WORLD,
WE IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
HAVE SOME CONSTRAINTS ON
WORKING TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY,
SHARING INFORMATION.
THE MORE WE LINK OUR INTELLIGENCE
DATA SOURCES TOGETHER,
THE MORE THEY BECOME VULNERABLE.
ONE ENEMY SPY INSIDE
THE COMMUNITY CAN DO MUCH MORE
DAMAGE THAN ONE COULD YEARS AGO.
ONE HOSTILE INTELLIGENCE PENETRATION
OF ONE OF OUR NETWORKS
CAN EXTRACT HUGE AMOUNTS OF VALUABLE INFORMATION.
SO WHILE WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF THE
TOOLS OF THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION,
WE HAVE TO BUILD SECURITY FEATURES ON OUR
DATA SOURCES AND ON OUR CONNECTIONS.
AND THESE ARE EXPENSIVE; THEY SLOW US DOWN SOME.
SO THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION IS GIVING
US BETTER TOOLS TO DO OUR JOB.
AS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE INFORMATION
REVOLUTION HAS SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD,
IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY AFFECTING OUR
COLLECTION OF INTELLIGENCE,
AS WELL AS OUR SHARING AND ANALYSIS.
INCREASINGLY, THE INFORMATION THAT WE WANT,
IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT OTHERS ARE
THINKING AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING,
IS STORED AND SHARED IN THEIR NETWORKS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE GO TO GET IT.
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS COMMUNICATE ON NETWORKS.
TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS LIKE AL-QAIDA USE THE
INTERNET TO PUT OUT THEIR MESSAGES.
DRUG TRAFFICKERS HAVE TO COMMUNICATE TO SEND
THEIR SHIPMENTS AND RECEIVE THEIR PAYMENTS.
ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'RE VERY MUCH INTERESTED
IN STORE THEIR INFORMATION ELECTRONICALLY,
NOT IN PAPER AND FILE CABINETS.
SO ONE OF THE REAL MAJOR GROWTH
AREAS IN THE BUSINESS OF GATHERING
INTELLIGENCE IS PENETRATING FOREIGN NETWORKS,
BRINGING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO
ANALYSTS TO WRITE THE REPORTS,
TO INFORM OUR POLICYMAKERS AND ACTION OFFICERS.
IN THIS AREA, I CAN'T GIVE YOU MANY
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, SINCE THEY'RE CLASSIFIED;
BUT IT'S NOT DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE THE
VALUE OF BEING ABLE TO READ THE E-MAILS
OF SOME FOREIGNER WHO'S INVOLVED
IN A PLOT AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.
NOW, THE THIRD HINGE POINT OF
AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE WAS 9/11,
AND ITS EFFECT ON US HAS BEEN PROFOUND.
AS THE 9/11 COMMISSION STATED,
IT EXPOSED THESE INTERNAL BARRIERS TO
SHARING THAT PREVENTED THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY FROM
UNDERSTANDING THAT THREAT THAT WAS FORMING AGAINST
US IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THAT ATTACK.
OUR ENEMIES WERE SEAMLESS;
WE WERE COMPARTMENTED.
THERE WERE PIECES OF INTELLIGENCE THAT WERE
HELD BY AGENCIES THAT WEREN'T SHARED,
WEREN'T ANALYZED TO WARN OF THE
ATTACK SO THAT WE COULD STOP IT.
THE DIFFICULTIES OF SHARING BETWEEN AGENCIES
THAT WERE FOCUSED ON FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE
ON THE ONE HAND AND THOSE THAT
WERE FOCUSED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND DOMESTIC SECURITY ON THE OTHER HAND
WERE LAID BARE BY THAT INCIDENT.
IN ADDITION, WE DISCOVERED, AS A NATION,
THAT OUR ARMED FORCES DIDN'T DEFEND US AGAINST EVERY THREAT,
THAT OUR NUCLEAR WEAPONS DID NOT DETER
EVERY ENEMY FROM ATTACKING US.
IT WAS THOSE 9/11 ATTACKS AND THE INVESTIGATIONS
AFTER THEM THAT LED TO LEGISLATION IN 2004 THAT
REORGANIZED THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY IN FUNDAMENTAL WAYS.
THE POSITION OF DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE WAS ESTABLISHED AT THAT TIME,
IN ORDER TO BRING TOGETHER A MORE INTEGRATED
AND AGILE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND TO ADDRESS
THESE NEW THREATS THAT WERE EMERGING.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, DOMESTIC LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY ORGANIZATIONS
THE FBI, THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
WERE INCLUDED IN THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY SO THAT WE UNDERSTOOD
THREATS ACROSS THESE TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES.
AND NEW ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY
SUCH AS THE NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER,
THE NATIONAL COUNTERPROLIFERATION CENTER
WERE ESTABLISHED TO FOCUS DIFFERENT
AGENCIES ON CROSS-CUTTING MISSIONS
THAT ALL NEEDED TO WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE.
SO HERE WE ARE, 20 YEARS SINCE
THE END OF THE COLD WAR,
WELL INTO THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION,
EIGHT YEARS SINCE 9/11,
FIVE YEARS SINCE THE DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE WAS ESTABLISHED.
HOW'S IT GOING? ARE WE REALLY AS INTEGRATED
AND AGILE AS WE NEED TO BE?
ARE WE ON TOP OF DEVELOPMENTS
IN CHINA, IRAN, AFGHANISTAN,
AS WELL AS AL-QAIDA, THE SINALOA
DRUG CARTEL, GLOBAL WARMING?
CAN WE BOTH ENABLE WISE POLICIES IN THESE AREAS
AND SUPPORT EFFECTIVE ACTION?
MY ANSWER TO YOU, AFTER A
LITTLE OVER A YEAR ON THE JOB,
IS THAT WE'RE DOING WELL,
BUT THAT WE'RE NOT SATISFIED
AND WE STILL HAVE
TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND IMPROVE.
LET ME START WITH THE SUBJECT OF
INTEGRATION OF THE COMMUNITY,
THE SHARING OF INFORMATION AND TEAMWORK.
OVERALL, WE'RE MORE UNIFIED AS A COMMUNITY
THAN WE WERE FIVE YEARS AGO.
WE DO A BETTER JOB OF SHARING
INTELLIGENCE AND BUILDING MISSION TEAMS,
TO WORK ON PROBLEMS THAT WE NEED THE DIFFERENT
SKILLS OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES TO SOLVE.
AS GENERAL MYERS KNOWS PROBABLY BETTER THAN ANYBODY,
THE ARMED FORCES WENT THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR,
STARTING IN 1986 WITH THE GOLDWATER-NICHOLS ACT.
THIS LEGISLATION TOLD THE ARMED FORCES
TO WORK TOGETHER AS A JOINT TEAM.
IT REALLY TOOK DECADES AFTER
THAT LEGISLATION TO OVERCOME ALL
THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF INTER-SERVICE RIVALRY AMONG THE ARMY,
NAVY, AIR FORCE AND MARINE CORPS.
I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY
WHEN THAT MOVE HAPPENED.
I'D BEEN IN A NAVY UNIFORM FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS,
AND LIKE MOST OF MY CONTEMPORARIES,
I WAS NOT VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT
JOINT OPERATIONS WITH OTHER SERVICES.
I FIGURED THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS SOLUTION
TO INTER-SERVICE PROBLEMS:
JUST BRING THE OTHER SERVICES UP TO
NAVY STANDARDS AND WE'D BE FINE.
(LAUGHTER.)
BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU I WAS WRONG.
THE ARMED FORCES ARE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE NOW
BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER THAN THEY
WERE WHEN THEY WERE FIGHTING SEPARATELY
MOSTLY OVER WHO WAS IN CHARGE RATHER
THAN AGAINST THE COMMON ENEMY.
I SEE THIS SAME PROGRESS IN
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
LIKE THE ARMED FORCES, WE'VE MADE IT A REQUIREMENT
THAT AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER SERVE
FOR A TIME OUTSIDE OF HIS OR HER PARENT
AGENCY IN ORDER TO REACH A HIGH RANK
WITHIN, A HIGH POSITION WITHIN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
AND EVERY DAY,
I SEE THE EFFECTS OF THIS WIDENING OF PERSPECTIVE OF OUR
SENIOR LEADERSHIP AS IT SERVES AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHILE THERE ARE STILL INSTANCES IN WHICH
INTELLIGENCE IS NOT SHARED WITH OTHER AGENCIES,
THEY'RE FEWER THAN BEFORE. THEY'RE MORE THE
EXCEPTION THAN THEY ARE THE RULE.
SO AS "RICHARD'S RULES OF
THE ROAD" REMINDED US,
NEVER BE ASHAMED TO UNLEARN AN OLD HABIT.
THIS PRIMARY LESSON FOR THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY OUT OF 9/11
WAS THAT WE NEEDED TO SHARE INFORMATION.
OUR PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF
THE UNSUCCESSFUL BOMBING
OVER DETROIT ON CHRISTMAS DAY OF A
NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT DID NOT FIND
AND THAT INFORMATION WAS BEING HELD.
IN FACT, IT WAS BEING SHARED.
THE NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER HAS ACCESS
TO OVER 50 DIFFERENT INTELLIGENCE DATA SOURCES.
THE PROBLEM WAS THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO PUT
THESE DIFFERENT PIECES OF INFORMATION TOGETHER
IN TIME TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE
WARNING TO STOP THE THREAT.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT PROBLEM.
SO THAT'S INTEGRATION.
WHAT ABOUT THE AGILITY OF THE
DEFENSE OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY?
ARE WE ABLE TO FLEX OUR
RESOURCES AS NEW THREATS
AND PRIORITIES ARISE AND
AS WORLD EVENTS EBB AND FLOW?
I BELIEVE WE CAN.
PERHAPS WE CAN'T QUITE LOOK
FIVE CARS OUT AHEAD IN THE ROAD,
THE WAY "RICHARD'S RULES OF THE ROAD"
WOULD HAVE US DO.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING AHEAD MORE THAN ONE OR TWO.
AND WE'RE ADJUSTING TO WHAT IT IS WE SEE.
LAST YEAR, WHEN THE SWINE FLU
EPIDEMIC WAS A FRIGHTENING THREAT
THAT WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WELL,
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
MOBILIZED TO GATHER THE BEST
INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON IT.
WE FOUND EXPERTS TO MAKE SENSE OF IT.
WE PROVIDED SOLID ASSESSMENTS
TO NATIONAL DECISION-MAKERS
ON THE POTENTIAL EXTENT OF THE
EPIDEMIC UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS.
ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT KEEP UMAR
FAROUK ABDULMUTALLAB OFF THE FLIGHT
INTO DETROIT ON CHRISTMAS DAY,
LAST YEAR WE STOPPED
MR. NAJIBULLAH ZAZI FROM AN ALLEGED
PLAN FOR AN ATTACK IN NEW YORK CITY.
WE ARRESTED DAVID HEADLEY,
WHO WAS INVOLVED
IN PLANNING ATTACKS ON
OUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES.
AND WE ARRESTED SEVERAL OTHER
AMERICANS INSPIRED BY RADICAL IDEOLOGIES
WHO WERE PLANNING TO BLOW UP PUBLIC
BUILDINGS RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
LAST SEPTEMBER, MONTHS OF PAINSTAKING
WORK BY THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY LED TO THE
ANNOUNCEMENT BY OUR PRESIDENT,
FLANKED BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE
UNITED KINGDOM AND THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE,
THAT THE IRANIANS HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTING A
SECRET CENTRIFUGE FACILITY TO ENRICH URANIUM,
AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN CONCEALING IT FROM
THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY.
AND THESE ARE A FEW OF THE EXAMPLES
OF THE EXCELLENT WORK BEING DONE BY
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY ON NEW AREAS.
BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT
NONE OF US BELIEVES WE
CAN REST ON OUR LAURELS.
THERE IS MUCH WORK TO BE DONE.
SO LET ME TURN TO THE FUTURE
AND TELL YOU ABOUT THE PRIORITIES
FOR THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
WHAT IT IS WE'RE WORKING
ON AS WE LOOK FORWARD.
SOME OF OUR MISSIONS REMAIN TRADITIONAL
EXACTLY WHAT YOU'D EXPECT
ESPIONAGE-RELATED INTELLIGENCE,
ASSESSING THE INTENTIONS
AND THE CAPABILITIES OF OTHER NATION-STATES.
EVEN THOUGH THE COLD WAR IS OVER,
WE STILL NEED TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT RUSSIA,
WITH ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS,
ITS NEW EUROPEAN SECURITY PROPOSAL,
ITS VAST ENERGY RESERVES. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
IF IT WILL WORK WITH US
ON COMMON CHALLENGES LIKE COUNTERING
PROLIFERATION OF VIOLENT EXTREMISM.
WE ALSO ARE WORKING TO LEARN
A LOT MORE ABOUT CHINA,
WITH ITS IMPRESSIVE ECONOMIC SUCCESS,
ITS GROWING ARMED FORCES,
ITS RISING INTERNATIONAL PROFILE.
BUT BEIJING IS ALSO OUR PARTNER FOR DEALING
WITH SUCH CHALLENGES AS NORTH KOREA AND IRAN.
I UNDERSTAND THERE
ARE QUITE A FEW CHINESE STUDENTS
HERE AT K-STATE AND THAT'S EXCELLENT.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE CHINESE AND
AMERICANS UNDERSTANDING
ONE ANOTHER BASED ON FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE.
IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING WHEN
THE CHINESE STUDENTS TAKE THEIR
WILDCAT TRADITIONS BACK TO CHINA.
CAN YOU IMAGINE 1.3 BILLION PEOPLE
DANCING AROUND TO "THE WABASH CANNONBALL?"
(LAUGHTER.)
NOW, RUSSIA AND CHINA ARE NOT THE
ENEMIES THEY WERE IN THE PAST.
THERE ARE MANY AREAS, INCLUDING INTELLIGENCE,
IN WHICH WE COOPERATE.
BUT WE STILL NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY THINK
AND SAY ABOUT US IN SECRET.
OF COURSE, WE'RE LEARNING MORE EVERY
DAY ABOUT IRAN AND NORTH KOREA.
THESE TWO COUNTRIES IN
PARTICULAR THREATEN REGIONS WHERE
WE HAVE BOTH ALLIES AND VITAL INTERESTS.
WE'RE LEARNING EVERY SINGLE THING WE CAN
ABOUT NON-STATE GROUPS THAT ARE POWERFUL,
INTERNATIONAL AND THREATEN
AMERICANS AND OUR WAY OF LIFE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT AL-QAIDA, ITS AFFILIATES,
AND THE GROUPS THAT ARE INSPIRED BY IT;
BUT I'M ALSO TALKING ABOUT
DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS,
ORGANIZED CYBER CRIMINALS, NUCLEAR PROLIFERATORS
THOSE WHO TRY TO SELL
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HARDWARE NECESSARY
TO MAKE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
WE'RE EXPLORING THE MEGA-TRENDS
THAT AFFECT AMERICAN INTERESTS:
GLOBALIZATION, THE FREER FLOW OF
PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY AROUND THE WORLD,
ECONOMIC THREATS TO INTERNATIONAL EXPORTS LIKE
BEEF, PORK, CORN AND WHEAT .
FROM RIGHT HERE IN THE
CENTER OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE'RE STAYING ABREAST OF
INTERNATIONAL TRADE,
THE RULES OF THE ROAD THAT ARE BEING
ESTABLISHED BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
THAT DEAL WITH TRADE.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE SETTING
IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT
HUMANITARIAN RELIEF OPERATIONS,
SUCH AS THOSE THAT ARE GOING ON
IN HAITI RIGHT NOW WHERE IMAGERY FROM
THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY IS SHOWING EXACTLY
WHERE PROBLEMS ARE LOCATED AND
WHERE HELP IS NEEDED IN THAT COUNTRY.
WE TRACK INTERNATIONAL OIL
AND GAS DEVELOPMENTS.
THEY CAN AND DO AFFECT U.S.
SUPPLIES AND BUSINESS,
AND HAVE PROFOUND GEO-POLITICAL EFFECTS.
WE'RE WORKING HARD TO STAY
CURRENT WITH TECHNOLOGY
TRENDS IN AREAS LIKE INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY, BIOTECHNOLOGY.
THESE ARE TWO-EDGED SWORDS,
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE USE THE
EDGE OF THE SWORD THAT HELPS US,
THAT BENEFITS THE COUNTRY,
AND THAT WE MINIMIZE THE DANGER
THAT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SWORD WILL HURT US.
RIGHT NOW IN BOTH THOSE AREAS, IN BOTH
CYBER TECHNOLOGY AND IN BIOTECHNOLOGY,
THE DEFENDERS HAVE A MUCH
TOUGHER JOB THAN THE ATTACKERS.
YOU HAVE TO SPEND MORE AND
WORK HARDER TO ENJOY THE
BENEFITS OF THE INTERNET AND BIOTECHNOLOGY,
WITHOUT BEING VULNERABLE TO THOSE
WHO COULD USE THEM AGAINST US.
AND THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THREATS
COULD AFFECT A TYPICAL K-STATE STUDENT OR
PROFESSOR OR RESIDENT OF MANHATTAN
OR JUNCTION CITY EVEN MORE THAN
WHAT WE THINK OF AS TRADITIONAL
TERRORIST ATTACKS WITH BOMBS.
NOBODY HERE WANTS TO BE THE VICTIM
OF SOME CYBER OR BANKING OR ID THEFT.
NOBODY WANTS TO HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT BIOLOGICAL WARFARE,
STRIKES AGAINST CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS POWER GRIDS,
THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES OR FOOD CRISES.
HECK, IT WAS BAD ENOUGH IN WASHINGTON
WITH THE RECENT SNOWSTORMS.
PEOPLE PANICKED WHEN THEY'D RUN
OUT OF CHIPS AND BEER FOR THE SUPER BOWL.
(LAUGHTER.) YOU COULD IMAGINE WHAT
A REAL THREAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE.
AND I KNOW HERE WE HAVE THE NATIONAL
BIO AND AGRO-DEFENSE FACILITY,
WHICH IS ON ITS WAY TO MANHATTAN.
AND DESPITE THE RISKS THAT HAVE
TO BE MANAGED WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
THAT YOU AS A COMMUNITY HAVE EMBRACED IT.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NEEDED.
AND WITH THE HISTORY
AND EXPERIENCE HERE,
INCLUDING THE EXCEPTIONAL BIOSECURITY
RESEARCH INSTITUTE RIGHT HERE AT K-STATE,
WHICH ALREADY ASSISTS THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY ON BIO-FORENSICS,
THIS IS CLEARLY THE RIGHT
COMMUNITY TO HOST IT.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE YOU'RE DOING
THE COUNTRY A GREAT SERVICE BY TAKING THAT ON.
AS A REWARD, WE'LL SEND THE MONEY,
BUT KEEP THE BUREAUCRATS IN WASHINGTON.
(LAUGHTER.)
NOW, THE REAL CHALLENGE OF ALL OF
THESE SUBJECTS THAT I'VE SORT OF REELED OFF
IS TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF INTERACTIONS NATION-STATES,
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS,
SUB-NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, MEGA-TRENDS
HOW ALL THESE PLAY OUT
AND WILL THROW OUT CRISES,
THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THE UNITED STATES TO ADVANCE ITS INTERESTS.
AND THEY INTERACT IN INTERESTING
WAYS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN MEXICO,
DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS ARE A THREAT.
THEY CAN BE EVEN MORE OF A THREAT
IF THEY'RE LINKED TO VIOLENT
EXTREMISTS OR COMPUTER CRIMINALS.
BUT THEY'RE ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY ONE
FOR UNPRECEDENTED COOPERATION
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO.
INTERNATIONAL CYBER CRIME IS A THREAT,
BUT IT ALSO REPRESENTS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR COOPERATION,
BOTH WITH THE PRIVATE
SECTOR HERE IN THIS COUNTRY,
AND WITH MANY GOVERNMENTS
IN EUROPE AND THE FAR EAST THAT
SHARE OUR GOALS OF HAVING AN
INTERNET THAT'S USED FOR LEGAL PURPOSES.
AT THE TECHNOLOGICAL LEVEL,
WE CAN ALSO TAKE THE VIEW THAT WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE
9/11 HAS BEEN BOTH A
CHALLENGE AND AN OPPORTUNITY.
ON THE CHALLENGE SIDE, AL-QAIDA USES GLOBALIZED
COMMUNICATIONS VERY EFFECTIVELY NOT JUST FOR PROPAGANDA,
BUT ALSO FOR RECRUITMENT, LOGISTICS,
MOVING MONEY AND INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS.
AND IT'S BEEN HELPED BY THE SPREAD OF TECHNOLOGY
IN AREAS LIKE EXPLOSIVES AND RECONNAISSANCE.
AND RELATED TO THAT, THE MEGA-TREND OF
GLOBAL MEDIA PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE.
NOW, MORE THAN EVER, ONE PERSON CAUSING
A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF CASUALTIES,
BUT IN SPECTACULAR FASHION, CAN HAVE A
HUGE IMPACT ON OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD.
ONE MAN WITH DUD EXPLOSIVES IN HIS SHOES
IN DECEMBER 2001 CHANGED AIRPORT
SECURITY AROUND THE WORLD, SO NOW WE
HAVE TO TAKE ALL OUR SHOES OFF.
AND IT HELPED THE SOCK INDUSTRY TAKE
OFF IN TERMS OF PROFITS.
(LAUGHTER.)
BUT TECHNOLOGY HELPS US, TOO.
WE CAN CONNECT THE DOTS LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
ONCE WE GET A LEAD,
WE CAN QUICKLY SCOUR MANY DATA
REPOSITORIES FOR MORE CLUES.
BUT AS WE LEARNED ON NORTHWEST 253
OVER DETROIT ON CHRISTMAS DAY,
WE STILL NEED TO DO THAT BETTER. WE NEED TO MAKE IT
EASIER TO SEAMLESSLY SEARCH DISPARATE DATA SOURCES
MAINTAINED BY DIFFERENT AGENCIES FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
LET ME TURN TO SOME CONCERNS THAT
I HAVE FOR THE FUTURE AS WE
PURSUE THESE DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX ISSUES.
ONE MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT
THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS FOR THE
INTERNATIONAL INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IN
COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISTS
HAS BECOME NOTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION.
WE ARE EXPECTED TO FIND AND TO
STOP EVERY PLOT BEFORE IT PROCEEDS.
LET'S LOOK AT THE REALITY OF THIS.
PERFECTION IS AN IMPOSSIBLE TARGET,
GIVEN THAT THE UNITED STATES IS THE
PRIME ENGINE OF GLOBALIZATION.
IN 2008, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD 50 MILLION
LEGAL FOREIGN VISITORS WHO
CAME HERE FOR MANY REASONS, INCLUDING TO
ATTEND SOME OF THE WORLD'S BEST UNIVERSITIES.
MANY FOREIGN STUDENTS CAME
HERE TO KANSAS STATE.
THAT'S GOOD FOR BOTH THE UNITED STATES
AND FOR THEIR HOME COUNTRIES.
HOW MUCH SHOULD WE BE EXPECTED
TO KNOW ABOUT EVERY PERSON WHO
SEEKS TO ENTER OUR BORDERS?
WHAT'S THE THRESHOLD? WHAT'S RIGHT?
WHAT'S TOO MUCH? WHAT'S FAIR
FOR US TO INVESTIGATE?
AND SECOND, WHEN IT COMES TO AMERICANS,
A FREE SOCIETY WHERE WE
ENJOY CIVIL LIBERTIES AND OUR
CITIZENS EXPECT PRIVACY,
THAT KIND OF A SOCIETY
DOES RUN SOME RISKS.
WE CAN ELIMINATE RISKS WITH
A GOVERNMENT THAT HAS THE RIGHT TO GATHER
UNLIMITED INFORMATION ON ALL
ITS CITIZENS AND TURN THAT
INFORMATION OVER TO INTELLIGENCE SERVICES.
BUT WE DO NOT WANT TO LIVE LIKE THAT.
WHERE DO WE WANT TO DRAW
THE LINE BETWEEN SECURITY,
ON THE ONE HAND, AND PERSONAL
FREEDOMS ON THE OTHER HAND?
AND HERE ARE SOME REALITIES OF
TERRORISM WHEN YOU STRIP OUT THE FEAR
AND USE SOME GOOD
OLD KANSAS COMMON SENSE:
LAST YEAR, WE HAD JUST OVER
14,000 HOMICIDES IN THIS COUNTRY.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE
KILLED ON U.S. SOIL WHOSE
DEATHS WERE TIED IN ANY WAY TO INTERNATIONAL,
VIOLENT EXTREMIST GROUPS? FOURTEEN.
AND THAT NUMBER FALLS TO
ZERO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE
PERPETRATED DIRECTLY
BY FOREIGN EXTREMISTS.
SUCCESS OR FAILURE SHOULDN'T
ONLY BE MEASURED IN LIVES LOST.
IT ALSO SHOULD BE MEASURED
IN LIVES SAVED.
BUT THAT'S PROBABLY HARDER
TO DO THAN ANYTHING.
AND EVEN ONE DEATH CAUSED BY A VIOLENT EXTREMIST
STRIKES RIGHT AT THE CORE OF A FREE PEOPLE.
IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE HIGHEST ORDER.
IT CAN'T BE TREATED SOLELY AS A NUMBER.
WHEN SOMEONE BREAKS INTO YOUR HOUSE,
IT'S NOT WHAT HE STOLE THAT MATTERS THE MOST;
IT'S YOUR SENSE OF SECURITY.
SO THE STANDARD FOR SUCCESS IN COUNTERING
VIOLENT EXTREMISM HAS TO BE INCREDIBLY HIGH,
BECAUSE THE STAKES ARE INCREDIBLY HIGH.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT
NO ONE IS HARDER ON US THAN
OURSELVES ABOUT THE TIMES
THAT WE FALL SHORT.
BUT I CANNOT PROMISE YOU THAT THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY WILL BE ABLE
TO DISCOVER AND TO STOP EVERY ATTACK
BY A VIOLENT EXTREMIST GROUP LIKE AL-QAIDA.
BUT AS A COUNTRY, WE CANNOT ALLOW
A SUCCESSFUL ATTACK TO DAMAGE
OUR RESOLVE OR TO
DIMINISH OUR WAY OF LIFE.
IF THAT HAPPENS, THEN
THE VIOLENT EXTREMISTS WIN.
REMEMBER AGAIN, GENERAL MYERS'
RULES OF THE ROAD:
THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE CRASHED
AND THOSE WHO WILL CRASH."
WHAT WE DO WITH THE ONE WE
SURVIVE IS TO LEARN FROM IT,
SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND THEN WE GET BACK ON THE BIKE.
NOW, A RELATED CONCERN I HAVE
IS TO INCREASE THE OPENNESS OF OUR
WORK IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
WITHOUT GIVING AWAY SECRETS.
IT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT I'M HERE
GIVING THIS TALK AT K-STATE.
I WANT TO TAKE SOME OF THE MYSTERY AND SOME
OF THE MENACE OUT OF
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD ALL FEEL AS PROUD AS
I DO ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE ACCOMPLISH.
AND THEY SHOULD BE REASSURED THAT WE DO IT
WHILE RESPECTING ALL THE LIBERTIES AND
THE CIVIL PROTECTIONS AND THE PRIVACIES THAT
AMERICANS HAVE UNDER THE CONSTITUTION,
AND THAT WE ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH AMERICAN
VALUES IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE MORE OPEN
WE ARE IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY,
THE EASIER IT IS ULTIMATELY
FOR US TO DO OUR JOBS,
BECAUSE THEN IT BECOMES MORE APPARENT
THAT WE'RE PROVIDING SAFETY,
NOT TRYING TO DECEIVE FELLOW AMERICANS
THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING THE MORAL HIGH GROUND,
AND THAT WE'RE DOING
OUR JOBS UNDER THE LAW,
WITHOUT INVADING THE PRIVACY OR INFRINGING
THE CIVIL LIBERTIES OF AMERICANS.
WE'RE PRIMARILY FOCUSED
ON FOREIGN THREATS,
THOUGH OF COURSE WE HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT IT WHEN THEY HAVE CONNECTIONS
WITH THOSE WHO THREATEN
THIS COUNTRY FROM WITHIN.
OF ALL THE SECRETS THAT EXIST,
THERE ARE COUNTLESS ONES THAT WE DON'T
INTRUDE ON LIKE HOW THE TV SERIES
"LOST" IS GOING TO END. (LAUGHTER.)
AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MYSTERY, WE DON'T NEED TO
FIND OUT WHO WILLIE THE WILDCAT REALLY IS.
NOW, YOU MAY THINK THAT GUY IN THE JAYHAWK
COSTUME IS A DIFFERENT STORY.
(LAUGHTER.)
BUT WE EXIST TO PROTECT HIM TOO.
UNLESS HE'S A TERRORIST, OF COURSE.
(LAUGHTER.)
WHICH WE BELIEVE HE IS.
(LAUGHTER.)
SO OUR WORLD IS A WORLD OF SECRETS,
BUT IT NEED NOT BE A WORLD OF MYSTERY.
OUR PEOPLE JOIN FOR PATRIOTIC MOTIVES.
THEIR JOBS ARE ABOUT PROTECTING THE LIVES,
THE FREEDOM, THE SECURITY OF AMERICANS.
I WANT THEM TO BE PROUD OF WHAT THEY DO;
AND I WANT YOU, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC,
TO BE PROUD OF THEM TOO.
BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IF THE PUBLIC
UNDERSTANDS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT,
WE'LL BE A STRONGER, SAFER NATION FOR IT.
YES, WE INTERROGATE THOSE WHOM
WE DETAIN BECAUSE WE SUSPECT THAT
THEY HAVE CONDUCTED ON ATTACKS
ON THE UNITED STATES,
OR ARE PLANNING ATTACKS.
NO, WE DON'T TORTURE THEM.
BUT WE ARE INVESTIGATING
NEW WAYS TO INTERROGATE THEM
CONSISTENT WITH OUR NATIONAL VALUES.
MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE
COACH FRANK MARTIN GO INTO A
ROOM AND STARE AT THEM FOR A WHILE.
(LAUGHTER.)
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S PRETTY EFFECTIVE.
OR IF WE'RE REALLY GOING FOR TEAMWORK,
PUT THEM ON THE 50-YARD LINE IN THE BILL,
HAVE THE KSU MARCHING BAND
PLAY "THE WABASH CANNONBALL,"
AND HAVE YOU ALL INTIMIDATE
THE HELL OUT OF 'EM. (LAUGHTER.)
AS WE OFTEN DO IN THIS COUNTRY,
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IS
CONDUCTING ONE MORE MAGNIFICENT EXPERIMENT IN DEMOCRACY, AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
CAN WE OPERATE A LARGE, POWERFUL,
EFFECTIVE INTELLIGENCE ENTERPRISE
WHILE ADHERING TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
AND AMERICAN PRINCIPLES OF OPENNESS,
SEPARATION OF POWERS, RESPECT FOR PRIVACY?
WE THINK WE CAN. WE THINK WE ARE DOING IT EVERY DAY.
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO MY FINAL POINT,
BECAUSE I WANT TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THIS LECTURE TO
DO SOME SHAMELESS RECRUITING.
ALL YOU OUTSTANDING
YOUNG WILDCATS OUT THERE,
I REALLY HOPE THAT AS YOU DECIDE
WHERE TO BEGIN YOUR POST-COLLEGE LIFE,
AS MANY OF YOU AS POSSIBLE CONSIDER
THE INTELLIGENCE FIELD AS AN OCCUPATION.
LAST YEAR THE PARTNERSHIP
FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND AMERICAN
UNIVERSITY'S INSTITUTE FOR THE
STUDY OF PUBLIC POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
CAME UP WITH A LIST OF THE
BEST PLACES TO WORK IN GOVERNMENT.
THIRTY-ONE ORGANIZATIONS WERE ON IT,
AND THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
WAS RANKED NUMBER FOUR.
MORE THAN HALF THE PEOPLE WHO
NOW WORK IN THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY CAME TO US AFTER 9/11.
THEY WANT TO DEFEND THE COUNTRY.
THEY'RE PATRIOTS.
THEY ENJOY BEING PART OF
AN HONORABLE PROFESSION.
AND THEY'RE A YOUNGER
CROWD THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL OF
THEIR TRIBAL STRUCTURES.
THERE ARE THESE RIVAL TEAM
EDWARD AND TEAM JACOB CLUBS,
I DON'T KNOW.
(LAUGHTER.)
BUT WE ARE AMONG THE MOST SELECT
PROFESSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES
PRETTY TOUGH TO GET INTO.
AMONG ALL OF OUR 16 AGENCIES,
WE CAN SOMETIMES RECEIVE UP
TO 5,000 APPLICATIONS A MONTH.
SOME OF OUR AGENCIES FIND
THAT ONLY TEN PERCENT
MAKE IT THROUGH THE CLEARANCE PROCESS,
WHICH COMES WITH BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS,
MEDICAL EXAMS, PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND A POLYGRAPH.
PLUS, YOU NEED SOME "MAD SKILLS."
BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, IF YOU'RE GOOD,
I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU.
PERSISTENCE IS EVERYTHING.
THE STEREOTYPE IS THAT WE
WANT BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ARE WILLING TO GO
OUT ON DUSTY STREETS AT NIGHT,
IN HOSTILE REGIONS OF THE WORLD,
TO GAIN INFORMATION ABOUT EVIL-DOERS.
AND WE DO NEED THOSE PEOPLE.
BUT WE ALSO NEED LINGUISTS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE EXPERTS,
LAWYERS, ECONOMISTS, RESEARCHERS, HISTORIANS,
POLITICAL SCIENTISTS, CYBER SECURITY SPECIALISTS.
WE NEED ENGINEERS TO WORK ON
ADVANCED SATELLITES, COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT,
SOPHISTICATED CENSORS,
FACIAL-RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY.
WE NEED BUSINESS-SAVVY ACQUISITION PROFESSIONALS
WHO CAN BUY ALL THAT SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY
AND MAKE SURE THAT UNCLE SAM IS
NOT PAYING TOO MUCH FOR IT.
WE NEED SMART ANALYSTS WHO CAN MAKE SENSE OF
THE FLOOD OF DATA THAT WE COLLECT EVERY DAY.
SO IF YOU WANT TO TRY TO
BUILD HIGH-PERFORMANCE SURVEILLANCE
DEVICES THAT CAN BE HIDDEN IN A
PAIR OF GLASSES, CONSIDER THE C.I.A.
IF YOU WANT TO BE WITH
WORLD-CLASS MATHEMATICIANS
AND COMPUTER SCIENTISTS, WE'VE GOT THEM
AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BUILDING
SOFTWARE TO TURN PICTURES FROM
SPACE INTO 3-D MODELS OF CITY BLOCKS,
THINK ABOUT COMING TO THE NATIONAL
GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.
IF YOU HAVE DESIGNS ON BECOMING
A SERIOUS ROCKET SCIENTIST,
THERE MAY BE A PLACE FOR YOU AT
THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE ORGANIZATION.
AND THAT'S ONLY FOUR OF OUR 16 ORGANIZATIONS;
WE'VE GOT A DOZEN MORE.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU TAKING
FOREIGN LANGUAGE BESIDES ENGINEERING
(LAUGHTER)
I HAVE JUST ONE THING TO SAY:
GRACIAS, MERCI, DANKE, XIE XIE, ARIGATO,
SHUKRAN, SHUKRIYAH AND SPASIBO.
YOU MAY HAVE YOU JUST HAVE NO IDEA HOW
IMPORTANT THAT LANGUAGE SKILL IS FOR TODAY'S
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IN COLLECTION,
ANALYSIS, EVEN ENGINEERING.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT IN TRULY
UNDERSTANDING ANOTHER CULTURE.
SO IF YOU'RE A FIRST OR SECOND-GENERATION
AMERICAN WHO ALREADY SPEAKS ANOTHER
LANGUAGE AND ALREADY UNDERSTANDS ANOTHER CULTURE,
WE'D DEFINITELY LOVE TO HAVE YOU.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT NO AMOUNT
OF TRAINING CAN REPLICATE.
AND IF YOU'RE STILL NOT SURE,
BUT YOU'RE CURIOUS YOU'RE A SENIOR OR
A GRAD STUDENT YOU MIGHT CHECK OUT
THE ONLINE APPLICATION FOR OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYSIS AND
INTELLIGENCE SUMMER SEMINAR:
40 SLOTS, TWO WEEKS IN JULY IN WASHINGTON,
WEATHER'S DELIGHTFUL.
(LAUGHTER.) TRAVEL EXPENSES, ROOM, BOARD,
500 BUCKS IN WALKING AROUND MONEY.
TRY IT; YOU MIGHT LIKE IT.
I THINK THE DEADLINE IS COMING UP MARCH 7TH
WWW.DNI.GOV/SUMMERSEMINAR.
SO I'LL STOP RIGHT THERE.
IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL TO BE HERE.
THANKS FOR PERSISTING THROUGH
THE SMALL INTERRUPTION.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS.
(APPLAUSE)
WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S
PATIENCE IN SORT OF MOVING AROUND
THE NEXT LANDON LECTURE WE'LL TRY TO
DO THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
INSTEAD OF JUST TWO. WE DO HAVE
TIME FOR JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND
WE WOULD ASK, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME DOWN AND ASK THE QUESTIONS IN
THE MICROPHONE ONCE WE
RUN OUT OF TIME I'LL
I'LL CUT THE QUESTIONS OFF. AND WE REALLY
APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING OUT TODAY.
PLEASE IF YOU HAVE SOME
QUESTIONS COME FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR COMING
OUT HERE TO SPEAK.
THE ONLINE GROUP ANONYMOUS
RECENTLY SHUT DOWN THE
PRETTY MUCH THE HOME PAGE FOR
THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA.
THIS IS A GROUP OF MAYBE A
FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE
BUT WITH A BOT NET THAT ENCOMPASSES
MILLIONS, IF NOT BILLIONS, OF COMPUTERS.
HOW CAN ANYONE HOPE TO COME TO
TERMS WITH SUCH AN OVERWHELMING NETWORK?
WELL THERE CERTAINLY IS NO EASY ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
AND RIGHT NOW, AS YOU POINT OUT,
THE WAY THE INTERNET IS DESIGNED
IT'S EASIER FOR SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO DO SOMETHING
BAD WITH IT THEN IT IS
FOR SOMETHING BIG. INTERESTINGLY
LAST YEAR, ONE OF THE BIG
INTERNET SECURITY COMPANIES
DID THIS, CAME OUT WITH THIS
STATISTIC THAT THERE WERE MORE
ILLEGAL APPLICATIONS THAT WERE
DESIGNED FOR THE INTERNET
THEN THERE WERE LEGAL APPLICATIONS.
THE BAD GUYS ARE DEFINITELY ON THE MOVE.
AND AS YOU SAY,
WITH BOT NETS AND BEING ABLE
TO MAGNIFY THIER EFFORTS. THEY ARE
THEIR HAVING A TREMENDOES EFFECT.
IT TURNS OUT THAT A LOT OF THE,
A LOT OF THIS CAN BE OVERCOME BY
JUST CARE OF WHAT YOUR
DOING WITH THE NETWORK.
SOME OF THE BASIC THINGS THAT PEOPLE
OFTEN DON'T TAKE THE TIME TO DO
THEY JUST LEAVE THEIR
COMPUTERS WIDE OPEN.
WE CAN DO A LOT OF IT THAT WAY.
THE REST OF IT THOUGH WE
HAVE TO DO, I THINK BY PUBLIC
PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. TO BE ABLE
TO TRACK DOWN THE SOURCES
OF A TAX LIKE THE ONE
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
GOING BACK AGAINST, STOPPING IT.
AND THEN GETTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION OUT
SO THAT PEOPLE DO THE BASIC THINGS
THEY HAVE TO DO IN ORDER
TO MAKE THEIR INDIVIDUAL
MACHINES MORE SECURE
AND THAT WE WORK ON THE NETWORKS. SO I'M...
THERE'S A LOT OF HARD WORK INVOLVED,
BUT IT'S NOT...IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE
IF WE GET INDIVIDUALS WHO
WHO RUN THE COMPUTERS, THE COMPANIES BOTH ON
THE PRIVATE SIDE AND FOR US IN GOVERNMENT.
AND THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO,
BE ABLE TO STOP IT. BUT IT'S A GOOD QUESTION
AND WE WORRY A LOT ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU.
AFTERNOON, WHAT IS THE NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY'S
POLICY ON THIRD PARTY INVOLVEMENT?
LIKE THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND DO YOU, I GUESS STRAIGHT FORWARD QUESITON IS,
DOES THE GOVERNMENT USE A
LOT OF PRIVATE SECTOR
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE ACQUIRING
PRIVATE INTELLIGENCE OR
IS IT MAINLY THROUGH GOVERNMENT INTERTIES?
WE HAVE A LOT OF PRIVATE
SECTOR PARTNERS, BOTH THOSE WHO
ACTUALLY HAVE CONTRACTS WITH THE
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TO PERFORM
FUNCTIONS. A LOT OF THEM ARE THE
FUNCTIONS MOST ANY COMPANY USES...
USES PRIVATE SUPPORT FOR, SOME
I.T. SUPPORT, BASIC SERVICES.
CERTAINLY WHEN WE BUY...
WHEN WE BUY EQUIPMENT
THAT'S ALMOST ALWAYS
THROUGH A PRIVATE COMPANY.
WE DESIGN, WE BUILD VERY
LITTLE OF IT OURSELVES.
WE HAVE PROCEDURES SO THAT PRIVATE
COMPANIES CAN GET SECURITY CLEARANCES
JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CAN.
SO THAT WE HAVE THE SAME LEVELS
OF SECURITY WITH US. SO WE HAVE LOTS
...LOTS OF PRIVATE PARTNERS. WE'RE CARFUL
THOUGH BECAUSE SOME FUNCTIONS THAT ARE
THAT ARE INHERENTLY GOVERNMENTAL
HAVE TO BE DONE BY PEOPLE
WHO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
ONE THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT RECENTLY,
FOR INSTANCE OUR INTERROGATORS
WHO INTERROGATE PEOPLE.
THOSE ARE NOW ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
SO WE'RE CAREFUL TO DO THINGS THAT THE GOVERNMENT
OUGHT TO DO WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS,
BUT WHENEVER IT MAKES SENSE,
BOTH IN TERMS OF SKILLS
AND IN TERMS OF SAVING MONEY,
WE DO USE PRIVATE PARTNERS.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION THE WAY IT
IS IN MOST THE GOVERNMENT.
MAM'.
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SPEAK TODAY SIR.
GIVEN THAT ON DECEMBER FIFTH
THE START TREATY EXPIRED
BETWEEN THE U.S. AND RUSSIA AND WE'VE BEEN
IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM FOR ITS RENEWAL.
GIVEN THAT THESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE INTENDED
TO BE A SIGN OF GOOD FAITH AND
STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTIONS. WHY IS IT THAT
THE U.S. IS PLACING MISSELS IN PULLEN
AND THAT RUSSIA HAS BEEN PURCHASING
BATTLE SHIPS FROM FRANCE?
THAT'S THE... MY OLDER BROTHER FROM
THE STATE DEPARTMENT WILL
BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THE... (LAUGHTER)
HAPPY TO ANSWER THE POLICY QUESTION
MY JOB IS TO PROVIDE
THE INTELLIGENCE THAT
IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT A GOOD...
MAKE THAT A GOOD... A GOOD ANSWER.
MAKE IT A GOOD POLICY.
BUT THE WHOLE TECHNOLOGY
OF MISSILE OFFENCE AND
DEFENSE HAS CHANGED,
HAS CHANGED SINCE THE OLD
DAYS OF SALT TREATIES
AND MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION
AND SO ON. THERE ARE MORE,
THERE ARE MORE COUNTRIES IN THE
WORLD WITH MORE DIFFERENT
DIFFERENT TYPES OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
AND AMERICAN
POLICY HAS SHIFTED...
HAS SHIFTED WITH THAT LINE.
SO I THINK THE TIME
IT'S TAKING TO
COMPLETE THESE NEGOTIATIONS
THAT WE ARE NOW INVOLVED IN
WITH THE SOVIET UNION IS REALLY
A FUNCTION OF THE COMPLEXITY
OF THE PROBLEM THAT'S THERE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE
SUBJECT THAT YOU RAISE, RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN OFFENCE AND DEFENSE,
MONINTORING AND VERIFICATION WHICH IS
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
THE INTELLIGENCE COMPANY.
ALL OF THESE ARE BEING NEGOTIATED
HARD IN ORDER TO MAKE A
TREATY THAT SERVES AS SECURITY
TO THE UNITED STATES.
AND OF COURSE THE RUSSIANS ON THEIR
SIDE WANT SECURITY TREATY THAT WILL
SUPPORT THE INTERESTS OF RUSSIA.
SO IT'S HARD WORK AND ITS GOING ON NOW.
THANK YOU.
FOLKS PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING
DIRECTOR BLAIR ONCE AGAIN.
(APPLAUSE)
MOST OF YOU CERTAINLY BEEN FOLLOWING
THAT THE WEATHER IN D.C. HAS
NOT BEEN SO GREAT. SO WE GOT THE
DIRECTOR HERE A K-STATE SWEATSHIRT.
THANK YOU.
(APPLAUSE)
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND FOR THE PATRONS.
THE RECEPTION WILL BE IMMEDIATELY
FOLLOWING THIS AT THE BEACH MUSEUM.
AND FOLKS HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU.