U.S. lawmakers mull domestic intel agency

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. congressional leaders, considering whether to establish a domestic intelligence agency, heard about the pros and cons of creating such a bureau.

The non-profit Rand Corp. think tank submitted its findings to Congress on how the new entity could be organized either as part of an existing department or as a new agency -- but didn't include a recommendation, CNN reported.

The document provides a framework for lawmakers to consider when deciding how or whether to reorganize domestic intelligence-gathering, Rand's Gregory Treverton said.

"Public demand for domestic intelligence is driven by the perceived threat and those perceptions can change much more rapidly than the threat itself," the report says.

The Rand report provided two options. One would create a new entity that uses intelligence agencies from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence community, CNN said. The second would create an "agency within an agency," such as the FBI or Homeland Security.

The Rand document also offered several actions shy of reorganization that could improve domestic intelligence-gathering, such as increasing resources, improving leadership and changing bureaucratic cultures, CNN reported.