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The article reports that the police across the U.S. are keeping tabs on ordinary Americans. City and county police in the name of homeland security have surveilled or harassed animal-rights and antiwar protesters, union activists, and even library patrons surfing the Web. The U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have spent important sums of money into building up local and state police intelligence operations. INSET: When the Cops Only Saw Red.

Reports on Saudi Arabia with the view that Saudi oil money supported the creation of a global terror network. The role of Saudi Islamic charities in funding jihadists in many countries; Details of how charities were used to spread Wahhabism; The role of Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, al Qaeda, and Afghanistan in forging bonds among Muslims who promote violence; Focus on the Muslim World League, Al Haramain Foundation, and the International Islamic Relief Organization; Background on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency investigation of foreign jihadists in Bosnia and other countries; Probe by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation into terrorist fundraising; The issue of American desire for Saudi crude oil; Challenges facing Western intelligence services in penetrating terrorist cells; Idea that the Saudi royal family is trying to modernize the fundamentalist society; The lawsuit in U.S. courts filed against the Saudis by family members of terrorist victims.

Considers the role of the United States Congress in overseeing the nation's intelligence agencies. Criticism of Congress by the 9/11 commission for lacking the power, influence, and sustained capability to properly oversee the nation's 15 intelligence agencies; Impact of partisanship on a collapse of the oversight system; Challenges faced by members of the intelligence committees because term limits keep them from building up the knowledge they need; Use of experience by intelligence officials to intimidate congressmen and deflect tough questions; Focus on "turf battles" in Congress.

Looks at the independent investigation being conducted on intelligence failures on September 11, 2001. A link to Osama Bin Laden and others through eavesdropping by the National Security Agency (NSA) a year before the attacks; One suspect who turned out to be Khalid al-Mihdar, one of the hijackers who would die that day; Failure to discover al-Mihdar was in the United States at the time of the tapings; Questions of why the calls were not traced and followed up; Claim by the agency that it foiled several plots over the next three years; Findings of inquiry so far; Limitations of the U.S. intelligence services.

Reports on the arrests of al Qaeda terrorists, and victories in the United States war on terrorism. Exploitation of intelligence documents and interrogations; Use of informants; Capture of terrorist Ramzi Binalshibh; Status of high alert for U.S. officials; Investigation of Osama Bin Laden's training camps; Risk of intelligence failures.

Examines the accuracy of U.S. intelligence services related to the operations of Al Qaeda. Results of a report by a bipartisan presidential commission on the administration of intelligence services in the War on Terrorism; Claim of the commission that U.S. intelligence agents failed to address the weapons capabilities of Al Qaeda until after the invasion of Afghanistan; Report of the commission that Al Qaeda's possession of weapons of mass destruction remains unclear; Recommendations for the reform of intelligence services.

Focuses on the reforms made to the United State intelligence community. Reference to the report of the 9/11 Commission, which called for an overhaul of the intelligence community; Creation of a director of national intelligence (DNI); Comment made by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts; Formation of the National Counterterrorism Center to assess terrorist threats; Reforms related to homeland security; Claim that the changes recalibrate the balance of power over U.S. intelligence activities; Question of who will be appointed as the nation's first DNI.

Examines the performance of Porter Goss, the appointed director of central intelligence in the U.S. Controversy surrounding several key decisions made by Goss; Influence of partisan politics on Goss' management decisions; Organizational conflict within in the CIA after Goss' appointment; Impact of changes at the CIA on reform efforts across the U.S. intelligence community.

Profiles Republican Representative Porter Goss, President George W. Bush's nominee to run the Central Intelligence Agency. Highlights of his background in intelligence; Concern among some Democrats regarding putting a politician in charge of the agency.

Comments on recent political developments in Washington, D.C. Importance of the Republican National Convention for George W. Bush's re-election campaign; Growing appeal of careers in the intelligence service; Similarity between Lynne Cheney and Nancy Reagan in their preference for wearing red; Others.

Offers a look at the reforming of the United States intelligence community as of August 2004. Role of the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in pushing for reforms; Debate over the creation of a National Counterterrorism Center; Naming of a national intelligence director to control the budgets and personnel of different intelligence agencies; Reactions of President George W. Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry to the 9/11 commission's recommendations; Claim that a quick implementation of the recommendations could be damaging to the War on Terrorism.

Profiles the United States Central Intelligence Agency and their operations. How George Tenet was sworn in as the fifth CIA director in six years; How the presence of terrorism abroad has made it more difficult for the CIA to operate in embassies under diplomatic cover; How the CIA blame their own spies for handing down bogus information regarding the war in Iraq.

Discusses 9/11 commission hearings in the United States and how members of intelligence agencies are placing blaming on others for their inability to prevent the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. Way that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency have tried to defer blame from themselves by focusing on funding shortages, a lack of prioritization and management's failure to shift resources; Failures of both agencies; How the agencies can repair their shortcomings.

Offers news briefs related to United States politics and government of December 10, 2001. Intelligence files given to the U.S. by Sudan; Plans of the U.S. Postal Service to give out bonuses to executives; Resignation of Republican Party Chairman Jim Gilmore; Others.

Focuses on U.S. President George W. Bush's appointment of John Negroponte to the director of national intelligence. Negroponte's most recent service, acting as the American envoy to Baghdad where he ran the U.S. State Department's largest diplomatic mission; Need for Negroponte to get the U.S.'s 15 intelligence agencies to work together and share secrets in order to avoid mishaps that lead to the September 11 attacks and the Iraq war; Details of Negroponte's history in the State Department, having served as ambassador to Honduras, Mexico and the Philippines, and representative to the United Nations.

Profiles George Tenet, the former director of central intelligence in the United States. Reasons for his resignation; His response to criticism of his leadership and operations; Quotes; Successes and failures.

Reports on efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency to work together in fighting al Qaeda after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. Congressional investigation of the two agencies for possible intelligence failures preceding the attack due to lack of cooperation in sharing information; Discussion of the agencies' divergent cultures and how their missions clash.