Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has set forth a collection of priorities intended to guide the Pentagon for the remainder of the Bush administration's second term, a list that calls for "significantly improving military intelligence capabilities" and meeting the challenge of roadside bombs, a scourge of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These goals are the newest additions to a brief catalog of objectives for the U.S. military that Rumsfeld maintains and periodically updates. A copy of the previously undisclosed list, “Department of Defense -- Priorities 2006-2008,” dated March 20, reflects a number of changes from the last version to circulate in the spring of 2004.

Pentagon officials say Rumsfeld uses the list to articulate high-level goals for the department in meeting with senior leaders across the military.

“If you want to know what’s on the mind of the most senior military people, this is the sort of thing to look at,” said a defense analyst with ties to the Pentagon who has seen the three-page list. “Because this is a secretary of defense-produced thing, it is taken with greater weight.”

Among the new goals on the list of eight priorities is “focus on people -- military and civilian,” including caring for the wounded as well as the families of the fallen and those still serving. Rumsfeld has also set the broad goal to “improve effectiveness and efficiency across the board,” which encompasses making “the best use of taxpayer dollars in all that we do,” creating a “culture of efficiency,” and eliminating “waste at every level.”

The top priority, “pursue the global war on terrorism,” remains nearly the same as it was in the 2004 list, which used the wording “successfully pursue the global war on terrorism.” With two years’ experience and the benefit of a new defense strategy, the goal is refined to “win the long war” by reducing and defeating the threat of violent extremism.

The “strategic approach” to fulfill this objective, according to the document, includes the protection and defense of the U.S. homeland and interests; attacking terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world; improving the military’s ability to “find, fix, and finish” threats; improving the military capability of partner countries; and strengthening U.S. strategic communications.

Other objectives on the list consistent with Rumsfeld’s 2004 goals: “Strengthen U.S. Combined and Joint Warfighting Capabilities” and “Continue Transforming the Joint Force.” Updated to reflect the latest thinking in the Pentagon, these objectives call for improving capabilities for irregular warfare and implementing an acquisition strategy that supports “joint interdependence.” They also take into account the execution of recommendations in the Quadrennial Defense Review, completed earlier this year.

The one new item on the list that is not supported by any companion goals is to “meet the challenge of improvised explosive devices,” an issue that Pentagon officials have recently decided to say little about in public.

To “significantly improve military intelligence capabilities,” Rumsfeld has called for the Defense Department to make better use of spies and enhance its ability to distribute and declassify intelligence “when possible” for tactical use. This overarching goal also calls for the Pentagon to “refocus intelligence” for the new defense strategy and keep contingency plans fresh.

The new list also calls for continued transformation of enterprise management, including the reform of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff and service staffs.

Objectives on the 2004 set of priorities that do not appear on the current list include countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and reorganizing the Defense Department to deal with “pre-war opportunities and post-war responsibilities.”

Other objectives from the 2004 list have been folded into new goals, such as refining the Defense Department’s role in homeland security and “improving force manning.”