Obama gets first intel brief as candidate

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama received his first intelligence briefing as a candidate Tuesday, and Republican John McCain has not yet requested one, says the government's top intelligence analyst. The analyst denounced past misuse of intelligence by government officials to promote their political agendas and strenuously defended the intelligence agencies against attacks on their competence. Politicians have used intelligence reports "as a club with which to bludgeon opponents on issues," Tom Fingar, the deputy director of national intelligence for analysis, told a conference hosted by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance. He did not criticize any politicians by name. Obama's briefing was conducted by National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell, who met Obama at the FBI's Chicago field office. McCain was notified of that meeting, Fingar said. Fingar promised the intelligence community would not favor one side over the other: Each campaign is being notified when the other asks for or receives intelligence briefings, he said.