Rumsfeld warns on US spy shake-up

By Nick Childs
BBC Pentagon correspondent

Mr Rumsfeld expressed his misgivings about the proposal

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has warned against creating new barriers between US intelligence and military commanders.

He was testifying in the Senate on the report of the commission investigating the 11 September 2001 attacks.

Its recommendations included creating a new national intelligence director.

Both President George W Bush and his Democratic rival John Kerry have embraced the idea, but Mr Rumsfeld has misgivings about how it is done.

Those doubts were on display again as he testified before the Senate armed services committee.

Mr Rumsfeld insists he does back the idea, but he cautioned that any intelligence reforms should not create additional problems, such as new barriers between intelligence agencies and senior military commanders.

If we move unwisely and get it wrong, the penalty would be great Donald Rumsfeld

Some see this as an effort to protect the Pentagon's position.

It is the biggest consumer of intelligence and currently controls over 80% of the US intelligence budget.

Responding to the recommendations of the 11 September commission is turning into an important test in the US presidential election.

Mr Rumsfeld said it was important to move with "all deliberate speed" on intelligence reform, but he said these issues are being considered in time of war and that the penalty of moving unwisely would be great.

He suggested that his priorities include improving analysis and human intelligence.