Statement by the Press Secretary

The President has issued an Executive Order to revise Executive Order 12333, which governs United States intelligence activities. The revised Executive Order implements the reforms enacted into law by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and creates a more unified, integrated, and collaborative Intelligence Community under the leadership of the Director of National Intelligence.

Originally issued by President Reagan in 1981, Executive Order 12333 is a cornerstone document for the Intelligence Community. The Executive Order sets strategic goals and defines roles and responsibilities within the Intelligence Community, while also affirming the Nation's commitment to protect Americans' civil liberties and privacy rights in the conduct of intelligence activities. The revised Executive Order reiterates the importance of timely, accurate, and insightful intelligence to our national security. It also renews the original Order's charge that all "reasonable and lawful means" are to be used to ensure that our Nation receives the best possible intelligence.

Implementation of the revised Executive Order will help create an Intelligence Community that is more unified, shares information more freely, effectively coordinates its actions, and collaborates more closely to provide policymakers the support needed to make difficult decisions affecting our national and homeland security. The revised Executive Order emphasizes the increased importance of protecting the United States from terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

The revised Executive Order maintains and strengthens existing protections for Americans' civil liberties and privacy rights and preserves the existing ban on assassination and limitations on human experimentation.