Washington, June 18: In a subtle acceptance of its "weak" intelligence gathering in Iraq, America's Central Intelligence Agency said it is expanding its corps of spies around the world, media reported today. The decision follows the "weakness" brought out in Iraq, the 'Washington Times' reported, adding that lacking spies on the ground, it became too dependent on former officials, defectors and foreign intelligence services to learn about Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

The CIA's cadre of spies is estimated at 8,000 to 10,000.

CIA training classes in the past ranged from 50 to 100 people. During the Vietnam war, the agency's training facility near Williamsburg turned out as many as 600 spies per class.

Bureau Report