The intelligence czar would, in fact, be an intelligence eunuch.

They are adamant that the Pentagon - not the new intelligence czar - should continue to control most intelligence budgeting.

If confirmed as intelligence czar, Mr. Negroponte should support him.

With that threat gone, American intelligence czars have yet to answer the questions about what they are going to do in the next century.

On the question of an intelligence czar, there will be conflicting views in Congress and the public.

Bush was now de facto intelligence czar.

Mr. Rumsfeld said then that an intelligence czar would do the nation "a great disservice" by creating reliance on a single, centralized source of information.

For a year, Bush called the shots as intelligence czar in the Ford Administration.

One such proposal is the designation of an intelligence czar who could have control over the $40 billion intelligence budget now dominated by the Pentagon.

Clearly, structural reform needs to go beyond the creation of a freestanding intelligence "czar" who would oversee the entire American spy network.