"Is it all right to lie to an intelligence committee?"

"There has to be more power given to those intelligence committees."

Force protection is our top priority on the intelligence committee.

For now, the officials said, the intelligence committees do not seem likely to challenge that.

He went on to become chairman of both the international relations and intelligence committees.

But the congressional intelligence committees are like a black box.

The intelligence committees are just one of members' committee assignments.

Perhaps more important, many senior lawmakers do not believe a joint intelligence committee is a good idea.

"I review the situation every two weeks on the intelligence committee and with outside experts," says Bradley.

Q. Well have you asked for greater authority from the intelligence committees to act in such cases?