WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- President Bush Thursday nominated John Negroponte as the first U.S. national intelligence director.
Negroponte, the current ambassador to Iraq and a former ambassador to the United Nations, will serve as a principal adviser to Bush and oversee a "unified intelligence community," with common personnel standards, Bush said.
"John brings a unique set of skills to these challenges," Bush said in praising Negroponte's 40 years public service career.
"I am honored you would select me to be the first director of national intelligence," Negroponte said, describing the job as critical to preventing terrorism.
"Equally important will be the reforming of the intelligence community."
Bush also named Gen. Mike Hayden to be Negroponte's assistant.
