US intelligence director to deliver threat assessment

US National Intelligence Director John Negroponte takes centre stage today as he delivers his first annual assessment of national security threats to Congress.

Appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Negroponte is likely to discuss a wide range of issues facing US spy agencies, including al-Qaida, the Iraq insurgency and the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea.

Democrats are almost certain to seize the opportunity to ask him for his first public comments about the National Security Agency’s much-discussed monitoring programme. Approved by President George Bush, it allowed the agency to monitor - without warrants – the communications of people inside the US whose calls or e-mails may be linked to al-Qaida.

In past years, the heads of the CIA, FBI and Defence Intelligence Agency have offered their own independent analysis on global and domestic threats to the intelligence committee. Providing a stark reminder that Negroponte is now in charge, he decided to change the format and deliver one unified assessment for the 15 US spy agencies.

The heads of other intelligence agencies, including CIA Director Porter Goss and FBI Director Bob Mueller, will be present to take questions from senators.

Today’s session marks Negroponte’s first appearance in an open congressional session since his confirmation hearings in April. The former US ambassador to Iraq is the US’ first national intelligence director, charged with overseeing everything from highly technical eavesdropping from space to old-fashioned spying.