Friday, February 18 2005 10:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: US President George W Bush yesterday (Feb 17, 2005) nominated veteran diplomat John Negroponte as the first-ever Director of the National Intelligence, a newly created post to oversee all 15 intelligence agencies in the country.

Negroponte, who had served as the first ambassador in post-Saddam Iraq and the United Nations, was nominated to the post, which was created on recommendations from the official commission that probed the September 11 attacks.

The post, created by a legislation aimed at overhauling the intelligence system, was aimed at better coordinating the work of the US intelligence community following the breakdowns that preceded the September 11 terrorist strikes.

Announcing his decision to nominate Negroponte, Bush said that as the new Director of National Intelligence he "will lead a unified intelligence community and will serve as the principal adviser to the President on intelligence matters."

"Intelligence is our first line of defence. If we're going to stop the terrorists before they strike, we must ensure that our intelligence agencies work as a single, unified enterprise," Bush said.

Reacting to the news, Negroponte said that he was ready, if confirmed, to take on "what will no doubt be the most challenging assignment I have undertaken in 40 years of Government service".

Negroponte will take over the post after only after confirmation from the US Senate.