US President George Bush named a justice department official with experience in terrorism wiretap programs as his White House homeland security adviser today.
Mr Bush chose Kenneth Wainstein, the department's first assistant attorney general for national security and a former FBI general counsel, to succeed Frances Townsend as assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism.
"He helped improve our ability to confront the threats of a new era," Mr Bush said in a statement.
Mr Wainstein, in his justice department post, oversaw efforts to bring Mr Bush's controversial warrantless domestic wiretapping program under the auspices of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
Critics say the wiretap program launched by Mr Bush after the September 11th 2001 attacks was illegal because it lacked court oversight.
Mr Wainstein has also helped lead the administration's effort to pass new surveillance legislation that would grant legal immunity to telecommunications companies that took part in Mr Bush's surveillance program.
In another security move, the White House said the president intends to nominate Michael Leiter, acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center, to serve as director. The agency oversees the government's operational planning and intelligence efforts.