Bush runs into opposition over security proposals

President George Bush presented a sweeping plan yesterday to improve domestic security, widen government secrecy and open the way for the military to take a more active role in protecting the US from a "new wave of terrorism that looms in America's future".

The plan, designed to flesh out the duties of the proposed new Department for Homeland Security, calls for special "red teams" of agents whose job would be to test security at likely terrorist targets. It could also draw in up to 1 million workers in sectors such as the postal system, utilities and transport to report any suspected terrorist activity. Meanwhile, documents relating to domestic security would be exempted from public disclosure.

Even so, Mr Bush's plan for the new department, with 170,000 employees and a budget of $38bn (£24bn) a year, is facing an uphill battle on Capitol Hill. Many in Congress, and several outside analysts, believe that what would be the biggest reorganisation of government since president Truman fused four separate armed services into the modern Pentagon in 1947 is too ambitious.

Its hasty announcement last month also looked to critics like an attempt to deflect attention from revelations of intelligence failures before the 11 September terrorist attacks.