For Immediate Release
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
August 2, 2004

Fact Sheet: Making America Safer by Strengthening Our Intelligence Capabilities

"All the institutions of our government must be fully prepared for a struggle against terror that will last into the future. Our goal is an integrated, unified national intelligence effort. Therefore, my administration will continue moving forward with additional changes to the structure and organization of our intelligence agencies... All these reforms have a single goal: We will ensure that the people in government responsible for defending America and countering terrorism have the best possible information to make the best decisions."

President George W. Bush, August 2, 2004

Today's Presidential Action

Background on Today's Presidential Action

Much Work Is Already Underway

The Administration has already implemented or is implementing policies consistent with most of the 9/11 Commission's proposals relating to foreign policy and homeland security. Overseas, the Administration is aggressively pursuing a strategy that is defeating terrorists, denying them support and sanctuary, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, and working to eliminate the underlying economic and social conditions that terrorists seek to exploit. The Administration is also working with its international partners to stop WMD proliferation through the Proliferation Security Initiative and other cooperative actions designed to preserve our common security.

At home, the Administration is developing and deploying cutting-edge technologies to secure our borders, ports, critical infrastructure, and other potential vulnerabilities of our homeland. We have vastly improved cooperation and information sharing among the intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security communities. We are employing the latest technologies to counter the threat of chemical and biological weapons in the hands of terrorists. We are using the PATRIOT Act to track terrorists, disrupt their cells, and seize their assets. We have brought focus to federal anti-terrorism and homeland security efforts through a series of Homeland Security Policy Directives on: management of domestic incidents; integration and use of screening information; critical infrastructure identification, prioritization, and protection; national preparedness; biodefense; and the safety and security of agriculture and food supplies.

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Source: The White House