US president Barack Obama will today unveil reforms aimed at thwarting future attacks like the attempted Christmas Day airliner bombing, as he seeks to limit political fallout from the incident.
Mr Obama will outline an initial series of changes, including enhancements in "watchlists" of terrorism suspects, after he meets with intelligence chiefs and other top security advisers, an administration official said.
Mr Obama faces the challenge of spotlighting national security - suddenly pushed to the top of his agenda - while not looking distracted from other pressing public concerns like reducing double-digit unemployment.
The administration is on the defensive after intelligence failures allowed a Nigerian with alleged links to Yemen-based al-Qaeda operatives to board a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam on December 25th. The man is accused of trying to blow up the plane with explosives hidden in his underwear.
US intelligence agencies and the State Department had information about the suspect, 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, but never connected the dots that might have put him on a no-fly list.
White House officials have conceded the failed bomb plot on a Detroit-bound airplane exposed errors that must be fixed but have played down the need for a top-to-bottom overhaul of the US security system.
After his regular briefings today, Mr Obama will meet at least 20 top officials to review what he has called "human and systemic failures" in the incident and how to avert a repeat.
Among those attending are Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defence Secretary Robert Gates, CIA Director Leon Panetta, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano and FBI chief Robert Mueller.
Mr Obama, who returned yesterday from 11 days in Hawaii, has been lambasted by Republicans who accuse his Democratic administration of being weak on terrorism and unable to fix intelligence gaps that have lingered since the September 11th, 2001, hijacked plane attacks.
Eepublicans hope to score points for November elections to help challenge the Democrats' control of Congress.
With the US military increasing forces battling Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan and burdened with continued responsibilities in Iraq, the failed Christmas attack has also raised doubts whether enough attention has been paid to Yemen.
Despite the administration and media focus on the bombing attempt, White House spokesman Bill Burton said he did not expect the issue to keep Mr Obama from addressing jobs, healthcare reform and the rest of his agenda.
"When you're president of the United States you've got to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time," Mr Burton said yesterday.
The Obama administration yesterday imposed tighter screening for US-bound airline passengers from Yemen, Nigeria and 12 other countries, including possibly being patted down, measures that civil libertarians called ineffective and unconstitutional.
Reuters