December 18, 2004

Today, the Commission completed three days of meetings at its Arlington, Virginia offices.

Secretary of State Colin Powell met with the Commission on December 16 to provide his views and perspectives of the Intelligence Community. Stephen Hadley, Deputy National Security Advisor, met with the Commissioners on December 17 to discuss a wide range of intelligence and policy issues.

Throughout the three-day meeting, Commissioners received more than a dozen briefings from the Commission's working groups on a full range of intelligence topics and issues. Additionally, the Commissioners reviewed and discussed a proposed framework that will guide the preparation of the Commission's report in the upcoming months.

This was the eighth time the full commission has met since its formation in February 2004. The Commission is expected to issue its final report to the President by March 31, 2005.

As in the past, the classified information discussed during these sessions required that they be closed to the public. The Commission nonetheless will continue to keep the public informed of its work through periodic statements and through its website, available at www.wmd.gov.

Commission Co-Chairs: