House Intelligence Committee chairman says no great intelligence failure in attacks

<br>WASHINGTON (AP) _ There was no massive intelligence failure by the U.S. government in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Tuesday. <br><br>``Not at

Tuesday, October 2nd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ There was no massive intelligence failure by the U.S. government in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Tuesday.

``Not at all,'' Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., said on CBS' ``The Early Show.''

``It was a combined failure of all our government protection assets just not having the right information on the right day,'' said Goss, a former CIA agent. ``We've got plenty of areas we can improve, but I don't want anyone to get the idea that that was a great intelligence failure.

``If it was anything, it was probably 'who would have expected an atrocity of that magnitude?''' he said.

Goss said the United States has a good intelligence capability but needs more of it in different places.

He said the nation needs to improve border security, fix problems with its visa program and upgrade domestic intelligence technology at the FBI.

``There are many things we can do and are doing that will make it better,'' Goss said. ``But it's never going to be 100 percent.''