TERRORISM PROTECTION Officials express urgency to enact advice from panel

Experts are cautious, saying too much haste could cause problems.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
WASHINGTON -- From Congress to the White House, the push to quickly reorganize the intelligence community to protect Americans against terrorism in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 commission's recommendations is picking up steam.
But the mounting sense of haste poses risks of its own, say some experts on national security and intelligence.
Senators have set their opening hearing for today -- a rare session while Congress is in recess -- and House leaders, having abandoned their initial call for caution, are signaling quick action as well.
President Bush is huddling in Texas this week with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to see how fast changes can be made, even as Democratic presidential contender John Kerry is saying the recommendations make sense and should be adopted now.
Warning
All this has occurred within a week of the commission issuing its report and warning that Americans will hold politicians accountable if they fail to act and there are new terrorist attacks.
That warning is being taken seriously in Washington, particularly in light of intelligence suggesting plans by Al-Qaida to attack before the November election.
But the flip side, experts say, is that the changes under consideration -- creating a director of national intelligence, setting up a national counterterrorism center, reorganizing congressional oversight -- are extensive and require a great deal of planning.
Moreover, they are the kind of major shifts that the country is likely to have to live with for years.
"There's a danger that under the pressure of election-year politics, premature decisions will be made on how to organize for combating terrorism," said Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute, a military think tank.
Haste could create problems because, given the need for smoother communication and coordination among intelligence agencies, it's critical to get the details right, said Steve Miller, director of Harvard University's international security program.
"As a general proposition, when we try to do things in a rushed crisis mode, then we sometimes make mistakes that we come to regret later," Miller said.