U.S. Spent $43.5B On Intelligence In 2007

Rare Disclosure For Agencies That Claim Declassifying Spending Figures Threatens Security

(AP)  The U.S. government spent $43.5 billion on intelligence in 2007, according to a rare disclosure of a figure long kept under tight wrap.

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell released the newly declassified figure Tuesday. In a statement, the DNI said there would be no additional disclosures of classified budget information beyond the overall spending figure because "such disclosures could harm national security."

The intelligence agencies have fought multiple legal attempts to disclose spending for the 16 intelligence agencies, including the CIA, the Defense Department, the Treasury Department and the Homeland Security Department, among others. They have argued that adversaries can divine secrets about intelligence activities if they can track budget fluctuations year to year.

According to a law signed by President George W. Bush in August, overall intelligence spending must be disclosed 30 days after the close of the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. The government must also disclose the figure for 2008. Beginning in 2009, the president may waive the disclosure requirement if he can make the case to Congress it would harm national security.

The requirement was a provision of a broad security measure carrying out recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission in 2004. The panel argued that overclassification does not contribute to good government, and that disclosing the overall spending for intelligence activities would help Congress in its oversight duties.

The CIA voluntarily disclosed intelligence spending only twice, in 1997 and 1998 when the budgets were $26.6 billion and $26.7 billion, respectively.

A top intelligence official inadvertently disclosed the overall intelligence spending figure two years ago at a conference that was open to the public. She said it was $44 billion.

National security analysts outside the government usually estimate the annual budget at about 10 percent of the total U.S. defense budget, which in 2007 was about $600 billion, including funding for the war. Around 80 percent of the intelligence budget is consumed by military intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office.

[ioweign]

''U.S. Spent $43.5B On Intelligence In 2007''''

Too bad none of it was on democrats. They have none.

Posted by Signof4 at 02:39 PM : Oct 30, 2007


I am surprised it isn''t more. alot of leaks

[grazinggoat]

Do we have eough peeeeeople to read all the intelligence reports? Because for 43 Billion$, one can produce quite a big pile of paper to read and learn by heart... or maybe they are contracting this task to Chinese?

[finewoven]

It''s called Intelligent Design. Up from the apes came man. Posted by mudrose at 04:04 PM : Oct 30, 2007

You got that backward. Intelligent Design is a Conservative-right program created to debunk science. You know, the world is flat, it''s about 4,000+ years old, and all that other nonsense from literal interpretations of the Good Book.

[finewoven]

What, are we into national defense and protection of our country. Oh come on now how lame can we be.
Posted by mudrose at 04:30 PM : Oct 30, 2007

I think they should find those people who can "divine" such information from generalizations. Those people could also help divine some of the lapses in intelligence gathering.

[mudrose-2009]

Wow, imagine that. Spending money on intelligence. Heaven forbid we spend money on intelligence. What, are we into national defense and protection of our country. Oh come on now how lame can we be.

[mudrose-2009]

And Bush still doesn''''t know what Intelligence is!! GO figure!!

Posted by liberalme

Yeah only the lefties read. They know what intelligence is. It''s called Intelligent Design. Up from the apes came man. They are very up on intelligence.

[feelfree1]

Does this figure include the "protection" payments received from the Afghan opium production?

[signof4]

''U.S. Spent $43.5B On Intelligence In 2007''

Too bad none of it was on democrats. They have none.

[liberalme]

And Bush still doesn''t know what Intelligence is!! GO figure!!