Intelligence Reorganization - Closing the Barn Door(s)?

The Al Quaeda terrorist attacks on 9/11 were a tremendous shock. How could such things be done in such a grandiose scale without being detected beforehand? Who let us down? The Intelligence Community (IC). Heads must roll, reorganizations are needed, the barn door must be closed. In March 2003 after months of making the case that there were WMD in Iraq, the US attacked, quickly overcame Iraqi defenses and opened Iraq to unhindered WMD searches. But the WMD, which were so clear and easy to find in the prewar, October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), remained elusive in Iraq. The IC blew it again. Heads must roll, reorganizations are needed, the barn door must be closed. This essay will begin with an examination of what the barn doors are that need closing. Then it will analyze the IC reform proposals of President Bush and Senator Roberts with respect to their attempts to close the barn doors, take heads, and reorganize the IC, as well as their prospects for implementation. Finally, the essay concludes that the Roberts' proposal, which punishes and is radical in approach, would not fulfill its promise and would be impossible to implement. The Bush proposal, which offers minimal change, has greater likelihood of political acceptance. Neither plan shuts the barn doors.