US Attorney General John Ashcroft on Thursday announced a "wartime reorganization" plan for the country's justice and law enforcement resources to meet the new mission of the Justice Department -- defending America against terrorist attacks.
Nearly two months after the Sept. 11 attacks on the US, Ashcroft redefined the department's mission and promised to restructure the FBI and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
"Defending our nation and defending the citizens of America against terrorist attacks is now our first and overriding priority," he said in a speech to senior department officials.
"Today, I am announcing a wartime reorganization and mobilization of the nation's justice and law enforcement resources to meet the mission of the Department of Justice."
"To fulfill this mission, we are devoting all the resources necessary to eliminate terrorist networks, to prevent terrorist attacks, and to bring to justice all those who kill Americans in the name of murderous ideologies," he said.
Ashcroft on Thursday sent Congress a new strategic plan for 2001-2006, calling for the reorganization of the department in order to meet its new mission.
"The plan being announced today contains 10 new initiatives for the systematic reform and restructuring of the Department of Justice. It is a blueprint for change," he said in a speech in the Great Hall of the department.
One major change will be to transfer 10 percent of all employees who are in the department's Washington headquarters out to the field.
"The war on terrorism will not be fought in Washington but in the field, by agents, prosecutors, investigators and analysts," Ashcroft said.
Ashcroft said that while "the opening battle has passed ... the war ahead will be long. The weeks, the months and years to come will impose additional burdens, and will call for additional sacrifice."
Two agencies within the Justice Department that are earmarked for a rehaul include the FBI -- plagued by a series of blunders before the Sept. 11 attacks -- and the INS.
The FBI has been shaken by a series of mishaps, ranging from misplaced files in the case of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, to lost or stolen weapons and laptops to a Russian spy within its own ranks.
FBI Director Robert Mueller has been working on restructuring the bureau since taking office in September. His input, along with four separate reviews of the bureau will be presented to the "strategic management counsel" which will make recommendations to Ashcroft by the end of February.
The overall reorganization of the Justice Department also includes a streamlining of functions in order to redirect 10 percent of the budget, or about US$2.5 billion, to counterterrorism efforts, a senior department official said.
Most of that new money will go to improving technology in part to help ease information sharing.
"The information technology system at the FBI is clearly inadequate," the official said. "They need to have a system which can interface with other intelligence agencies and share that information. We are not at that point yet."
Another troubled agency, the INS, will also be restructured to separate enforcement and service functions. The INS has been the subject of much scrutiny after the Sept. 11 assaults showed huge gaps in US immigration policy.
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