Kerry seeks intelligence overhaul

Within minutes of the news of George Tenet's resignation, senior Democrats were already pointing the finger at President Bush.

Democratic presidential contender John Kerry said the Administration should take responsibility for the "significant intelligence failures" under Tenet.

Kerry said the United States intelligence services had to be reformed and a new director of national intelligence post created to oversee all agencies.

"I have known George Tenet for many years, and I wish him the very best," said the Massachusetts senator. "He has worked extremely hard on behalf of our nation, and we are grateful for his effort.

"There is no question, however, that there have been significant intelligence failures, and the Administration has to accept responsibility for those failures.

"This is an opportunity for the President to lead. As I've said for some time, we must reshape our intelligence community for the 21st century and create a new position of director of national intelligence with real control of all intelligence personnel and budgets."

Kerry had already called for Tenet to stand down.

It was not clear whether Tenet was gently pushed, or whether he is going of his own volition.

No warning appears to have been given to members of the Senate and House intelligence committees.

"This is too important a decision at too important a time for this to be a personal decision," said Stansfield Turner, a former CIA director. "He wouldn't pull the plug on the President in the middle of an election cycle without being asked by the President to do it. He's being pushed out - it's likely he's the scapegoat."

Senator Hillary Clinton, wife of the former president, said she was surprised by the resignation, like much of Washington.

She hinted at a link to problems with Ahmed Chalabi, the Iraqi politician from whom the Bush Administration has been seeking to distance itself.

But Dennis Hastert, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, placed the blame elsewhere. "Tenet had a monumental task to rebuild human intelligence-gathering capabilities devastated by eight years of liberal Clinton Administration policies."

Senator Carl Levin, a top Democratic member of the Armed Services Committee, warned that Tenet's resignation "must not distract or deter Congress from its investigation of the massive intelligence failures with respect to Iraq because director Tenet and the CIA do not bear sole responsibility for those failures".

Tenet himself reiterated that he was resigning for personal reasons.

"I did not make this decision quickly or easily, but I know in my heart that the time is right to move on to the next phase of our lives," he said.

Visibly choking back tears, he said his resignation "has only one basis in fact: the well-being of my beautiful family".

Addressing his teenage son Michael, who was sitting in the audience, he said: "You've been a great son - and now I'm going to be a great dad."

- REUTERS