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 Home > News & Policies > June 2005

For Immediate Release
June 29, 2005

Bush Administration Implements WMD Commission Recommendations

Actions to Implement WMD Commission Recommendations [HTML] [PDF]

FACT SHEET

Today, President Bush Announced Actions To Implement Recommendations In The WMD Commission's Report To Make America Safer And To Ensure The Intelligence Community Is Prepared To Address The Threats Of The 21st Century. The Administration endorsed 70 of the 74 recommendations of the WMD Commission, and will study further three of the recommendations. A single classified recommendation will not be implemented.

  • Acting On The Commission's Recommendations Addresses Threats Posed By Terrorists And The Proliferation Of Weapons Of Mass Destruction. These actions build on historic reforms undertaken since September 11, 2001, including the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the Homeland Security Council, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, the National Counterterrorism Center, the Terrorist Screening Center, and the position of Director of National Intelligence.

President George W. Bush offers remarks after a briefing by Fran Townsend, in red, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism, to the National Security Council regarding the Silberman-Robb Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission Report Wednesday, June 29, 2005, in the Situation Room of the White House. Clockwise, from the President, are: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Treasury Secretary John Snow; CIA Director Porter Goss; Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; Robert Mueller, FBI Director; Fran Townsend; Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security; John Negroponte, Director of National Intelligence, and Vice President Dick Cheney. In the background are: Steve Hadley, National Security Advisor; Phil Zelikow of the State Department, and J.D. Crouch, Deputy National Security Advisor. White House photo by Eric DraperPresident Bush Has Acted On The WMD Commission's Recommendations

President Bush Transformed Government Institutions to Meet New National Security Threats.

  • Restructuring The Justice Department And FBI To Further Integrate Their National Security Efforts. The President directed the Attorney General to bring together the Justice Department's national security elements and directed the creation of a National Security Service within the FBI that will specialize in intelligence and other national security matters and respond to priorities set by the Director of National Intelligence.

  • President Bush Clarified the Lines of Authority Over Information Sharing. President Bush directed that the Program Manager for Information Sharing report to the Director of National Intelligence. The Program Manager will facilitate information sharing between all levels of government, the private sector, and foreign allies to combat terrorism more effectively.

  • President Bush Endorsed The Establishment Of A National Counter Proliferation Center. The National Counter Proliferation Center will manage and coordinate the intelligence community's activities concerning proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, and their delivery systems.

  • President Bush Targets Proliferation Activities. President Bush signed an Executive Order to combat trafficking of weapons of mass destruction and proliferation-related materials by cutting off financing and other support for proliferation networks.

President Bush Will Work With Congress On Recommendations That Require Legislation.

  • The President Supports Reforming Congressional Oversight. The Administration will work with Congress to streamline its structures for conducting oversight of intelligence community agencies as recommended by the WMD Commission and previously by the 9/11 Commission.

  • President Bush Supports Creating A New Assistant Attorney General Position. President Bush supports the creation of this new position to centralize responsibility for intelligence and national security matters at the Department of Justice in a single office.

  • President Bush Proposes Legislation To Investigate Foreign Agents. President Bush supports extending the duration of electronic surveillance in cases involving agents of foreign powers who are not U.S. persons.

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