Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary for most of the Bush era, attempted to increase the Pentagon‘s espionage capability dramatically but the attempt was rebuffed by the CIA, which was at loggerheads with Rumsfeld‘s defence department over Iraq.

The Pentagon insisted that this time its new clandestine service would be set up in close collaboration with the CIA, which is led by the former military commander General David Petraeus. The fact that Panetta is a former CIA director is also said to have helped smooth co-operation.