What had been presented primarily as a counter-proliferation mission has been reconceived as counterterrorism.

NEWYORKER: Shifting Targets

Some of this new soft focus can also be spotted when it comes to counter-proliferation.

ECONOMIST: The Quadrennial Defence Review

In an effort to inquire about certain reports involving Niger, CIA's counter-proliferation experts, on their own initiative, asked an individual with ties to the region to make a visit to see what he could learn.

CNN: Text of CIA Director George Tenet's statement

U.S. diplomats and defense officials have worried the disclosures could undercut the ability of foreign leaders to continue cooperating with Washington on counter-terror and counter-proliferation operations, with Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan among those most focused on.

WSJ: Vast Leak of Cables by WikiLeaks Discloses Diplomatic Secrets

Unfortunately, President Bush's laudable effort to encourage other industrialized nations to forego this sort of trade would be gravely undermined should some in his Administration succeed in what can only be described as a counter-counter-proliferation initiative.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Mixed signals on proliferation

The problem was compounded by others Negroponte also brought in from State, notably his assigning of the appallingly inadequate former U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Kenneth Brill, as the Director of the Counter-Proliferation Center and of Foggy Bottom "expert" Vann Van Diepen as the National Intelligence Officer for non-proliferation matters.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Intelligence mis-estimates

These include: Ambassador John Negroponte , the Director of National Intelligence, Tom Fingar , his deputy for Analysis and Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, and Ambassador Kenneth Brill , Director of the National Counter-Proliferation Center - a critically important job for which he seems particularly ill-suited by temperament and past track record of reflexive acquiescence to various instances of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: UN AmBush

"There is clearly scope for us to work together, on counter-terrorism, on Afghanistan, on piracy, on non-proliferation, and many other areas as well, " Rasmussen said Monday.

CNN: New NATO chief warns of Afghan 'terror Grand Central'