CIA chief John Brennan considers sweeping reorganisation
John Brennan is mulling reorganisation of US agency that would see the spying and analysis divisions merged in special focused units
CIA director John Brennan is considering sweeping changes that could include breaking up the separate spying and analysis divisions that have been in place for decades, to create hybrid units focused on individual regions and threats to US security, current and former intelligence officials said.
The proposal would replicate the structure of the CIA's Counterterrorism Centre (CTC) and similar entities in the agency - an idea that reflects the CTC's expanded role and influence since the September 11 attacks in 2001.
US officials said the proposal was in its preliminary stages, and could still be scaled back or even discarded.
But if Brennan moved forward, officials said, the changes would be among the most ambitious in CIA history - potentially creating individual centres focused on China, Latin America and other regions or issues for which personnel are now dispersed across the agency.
"It's a major deal," said a former senior CIA official who has worked with Brennan.
Brennan appointed an internal CIA panel in September to evaluate the proposal as part of a broader review of the agency's structure. In a message to the agency's workforce, he cited the "rising number and complexity of security issues" such as the continued threat of al-Qaeda.