US President George W. Bush will give the post of CIA director some of the broad authority that the September 11th commission envisioned for a new intelligence czar.
In what aides described as an interim step toward sweeping intelligence reform, President Bush was expected to sign a series of national security executive orders that would also create a new National Counterterrorism Center and enhance information sharing between intelligence agencies.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the main order enhancing the powers of the central intelligence director was designed as an interim step toward creation of a new national intelligence director's post by Congress.
A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said President Bush would give CIA director authority over budgetary and other matters at intelligence agencies including the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office.
President Bush has nominated former US House of Representatives intelligence chief Mr Porter Goss as CIA director to replace George Tenet, who resigned last month after spectacular lapses involving Iraq and the September 11th, 2001, attacks.