The White House this evening strongly defended President George W. Bush's decision to restrict most members of Congress from access to sensitive information about US military strikes abroad or threats to Americans at home after the September 11th attacks.
Working to bolster the government bureaucracy in his war on terrorism, Bush chose retired Army Gen. Wayne Downing to be deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism, and Mr Richard Clarke, who was already working on anti-terrorism at the White House, as special adviser for cyberspace security.
"Let's not make any bones about it," said Mr Clarke at his announcement ceremony. "This is going to be an extremely difficult job. It's a tough foe, it's a determined foe, and as events have shown us, it is a very, very smart foe and a crafty foe."
Mr Bush, trying to keep an international coalition together, met German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in a visit aides said was arranged over the weekend as the US launched air strikes against Afghanistan. Mr Bush spoke by telephone with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.
The German newspaper Bild, in a report to appear on Wednesday, said Schroeder would offer German surveillance planes and transport aircraft that could help deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
Seeking to cork leaks from Capitol Hill, Mr Bush told key members of his Cabinet in an October 5th memo that "until you receive further notice from me only eight key members of Congress could be briefed on the US response to the attacks, instead of the larger group that would expect to be told."
Aides said Mr Bush was angered by leaks from a closed briefing by CIA officials to the Senate Intelligence Committee last week. The Washington Postreported the committee was told of a 100 per cent threat risk of more attacks on US soil that could encompass assaults against exposed infrastructure like natural gas pipelines and nuclear power plants.