In a rare public appearance, CIA Director Porter Goss said he is overwhelmed by the many duties of his job, including devoting five hours out of every day to prepare for and deliver intelligence briefings to US President George W. Bush.

　　"The jobs I'm being asked to do, the five hats that I wear, are too much for this mortal," Goss said in Simi Valley, California.

　　Goss praised Bush's choice for the new job of national intelligence director, John Negroponte. The career diplomat, who is expected to be confirmed by the US Senate, will take over several of the duties currently assigned to Goss, including the presidential briefing.

　　Goss, who has made few public comments beyond congressional testimony, also said the legislation creating the position of director of national intelligence left him unclear on his future role.

　　"It's got a huge amount of ambiguity in it," he said. "I don't know by law what my direct relationship is with John Negroponte," US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld or other officials involved with intelligence.

　　Despite the confusion, Goss praised Negroponte's selection.

　　"I hold him in the highest regard," he said, noting that the two attended Yale at the same time.

　　Goss' remarks came during an hourlong address at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, before an audience of more than 200 that included former first lady Nancy Reagan. Tickets to the event were sold to the public for US$45.

　　Goss, a CIA clandestine officer for 10 years who retired in 1972, said it takes him five hours every day to prepare and deliver the president's daily briefing, calling Bush "a voracious consumer of intelligence."

　　Goss succeeded George Tenet, the CIA chief for seven years who was criticized for intelligence failures leading up to the Iraq war. Tenet also reportedly assured Bush there was "slam dunk" evidence showing Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Such weapons have not been found.

　　(The Associated Press)