Rumsfeld Commends Tenet for Praising Intel Community

By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 5, 2004 – Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Feb. 5 that it was important for CIA chief George Tenet to talk about successes of U.S. intelligence assets.

Earlier that day at Georgetown University, Tenet made a detailed presentation in support of statements administration officials made in the weeks leading up to war in Iraq. Rumsfeld, somewhere over the Atlantic en route to a security conference in Munich, listened to Tenet's speech over a satellite phone call back to the Pentagon.

Later in the flight, Rumsfeld shared his reaction to the speech with traveling reporters.

"He did something that I expressed hope he might do," Rumsfeld said of Tenet's presentation. "And that was to talk a little bit about all the successes."

The secretary said he believes there's been "quite a bit of confusion in the press stories about the role of intelligence."

He said he felt Tenet's defense of the hard-working men and women in the intelligence community was presented "professionally and in a way that's balanced."

"And I'm delighted he did it," Rumsfeld said. "I think it will revive a lot of clarity for people."