Tenet admits mistakes

The intelligence community has taken strides in tearing down barriers between officers collecting information in the field and analysts producing reports in Washington, Tenet said. He said the creation of the Terrorism Threat Integration Center last year would improve the fusion of data from all sources in one place.

At the moment the center has 124 FBI and CIA agents working side-by-side to compare overseas and domestic intelligence reports on terrorism. Some 2,600 government officials have access to its products. But commissioners noted that the CIA still operates the Counterterrorism Center with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security has its own office of intelligence analysis. They raised doubts about duplication among the agencies.

Mueller introduced a 74-page report on steps the bureau is taking to improve its focus on terrorism and replace outdated technology.

Much of the questioning focused on whether Mueller could make lasting changes at the FBI.

"With so little confidence right now in the FBI and the stakes being so large for the security of the country, why should we give the FBI another chance?" asked Commissioner Timothy Roemer, a former Democratic representative from Indiana.

Mueller rejected the contention that confidence in the FBI is low.

"I think, perhaps, if you get outside of Washington you will find . . . that the FBI has a tremendous amount of respect from the community, but also from state and local law enforcement," Mueller said.

Mueller also echoed a number of witnesses over the two days of hearings in rejecting the possibility of creating a domestic intelligence agency separate from the FBI.

Such action, he said, would be a "grave mistake," raising concern over the potential loss of civil liberties and the effect it might have in derailing recent improvements at the bureau.

He added: "Splitting the law enforcement and the intelligence functions would leave both agencies fighting the war on terrorism with one hand tied behind their backs."

In addition, the commission staff released a report that found significant problems with the FBI's analyst division.

"We heard from many analysts who complain they are able to do little actual analysis because they continue to be assigned to menial tasks, including covering the phones at the reception desk and emptying the office trash bins," the report states.

Most of the hearing was spent deconstructing why the CIA and a dozen other intelligence agencies failed to connect vital pieces of information about Osama bin Laden's surge in power and support.