WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush swore in his new national intelligence chief on Tuesday at Bolling Air Force base in Washington, and directed him to boost the ability of spy agencies to recruit speakers of foreign languages.

Ret. Vice Adm. Mike McConnell will head all 16 of the nation's spy agencies, succeeding John Negroponte, who is now deputy secretary of state.

McConnell is a veteran of nearly four decades in U.S. intelligence.

The president -- and later McConnell -- used their speeches to focus on a persistent weakness in American intelligence-gathering: a dearth of operatives who speak critical languages, such as Arabic or Farsi.

"The old policies have hampered some common-sense reforms, such as hiring first- and second-generation Americans who possess native language skills, cultural insights and a keen understanding of the threats we face," McConnell said.

"Mike's long experience gives him a unique understanding of the threats we face in this new century. He knows that the terrorists who struck America on September the 11th, 2001 are determined to strike our nation again. He understands that the enemy uses the tools of our modern economy -- from rapid transportation, to instant communications, to global finance -- to spread their extremist ideology, and facilitate new attacks," Bush said to 300 invited guests at the DNI's office at Bolling. "These are enormous challenges, and Mike McConnell has the experience and the character and the talent to meet them."