Special Report: Aftermath Of Terror

PENTAGON AND WHITE HOUSE CONSIDER NEW COMMAND AGAINST U.S. ATTACKS

WASHINGTON -- Pentagon and administration officials are discussing creating
a high-level regional military command for the continental U.S. that would
be charged with preventing and responding to large-scale terrorist attacks,
according to government officials close to the discussions.

The command, a sign of the military's expanding role in domestic security,
would be run by a four-star general and charged with detecting and
responding to a biological-or chemical-weapons attack as well as preventing
other attacks on U.S. soil. The talks are still in early planning stages,
and it isn't clear just how the command would operate -- whether, for
example, active-duty units would be assigned to it.

Much of the discussion has centered on how the National Guard and reserves
would be utilized by the new military commander. If a military response is
required on U.S. soil, the guard and reserve units would report directly to
the military commander, but also could be detailed to state governors or
civilian federal agencies.

The Pentagon's plan, however, raises questions about where to draw the line
between domestic law enforcement, which typically is the purview of
civilian agencies such as the Justice Department, and military operations
undertaken on U.S. soil. Civil libertarians long have opposed any expansion
of the military's domestic role, while the military itself is concerned
that adding more missions will dilute its ability to fight and win the
nation's foreign wars.

Although the Pentagon has taken on a role in drug interdiction, primarily
offshore, a senior Pentagon official said the department's new domestic
responsibilities "would be on a much larger scale." The official said among
the topics being discussed is how to reconcile the Pentagon's new role in
defending the homeland with federal "posse comitatus" law, which forbids
the military from taking a law-enforcement role on U.S. soil.

Pentagon officials envision a regional military commander-in-chief for the
U.S., known as a CINC in military parlance. Other CINCs command U.S.
military troops in various regions of the world, such as Europe, the Middle
East and Asia. Pentagon officials said a U.S. CINC would include several
existing commands, including those for missile defense and combat air
patrols over U.S. cities.

Pentagon documents indicate the position would play a central role in
developing response plans in case of nuclear-, chemical-or
biological-weapons attacks. The documents also indicate the CINC's office
would help procure vaccines and develop technologies for use in a chemical
or biological emergency.

Even inside the Pentagon, there are skeptics. The military brass has
complained bitterly during recent years that it lacks the money to perform
its traditional roles.

"It would be a distraction from the military's main job, which is winning
our wars," said Loren Thompson, chief operations officer of the Lexington
Institute, a nonpartisan think tank here that focuses on military issues.
Taking on too much of homeland defense could open up the Pentagon to even
greater congressional meddling with budgets and weapons procurement, Mr.
Thompson said.

Administration officials declined to comment on the status of the proposal,
which would require presidential approval. Congress, which also would play
a role in evaluating the proposals, would be sure to weigh in on such a
large redeployment of military personnel and resources. "This idea is
certainly on the table, but it's very much just a concept at this stage,"
said Susan Neely, spokeswoman for Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge. Ms.
Neely said Mr. Ridge and his top aide, retired Navy Adm. Steve Abbott, have
been very involved in the talks.

The discussions about whether to create the Pentagon position come amid a
flurry of activity designed to realign the nation's military,
law-enforcement and intelligence-gathering operations after the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks.

Earlier this month, for example, Attorney General John Ashcroft outlined
plans to reallocate Justice Department money and personnel toward
counterterrorism. Mr. Ridge, meanwhile, has said he may ask Congress for
legislation consolidating the nation's border-control and security
functions, which currently are divided among the Immigration and
Naturalization Service, Border Patrol, Customs Service and Coast Guard.
Last week, Mr. Ridge also said he might try to give the National Guard more
of a role in homeland defense.

Some potential changes, however, have sparked bureaucratic turf wars. Last
month, the military's four current CINCs asked that Federal Bureau of
Investigation and Treasury Department personnel be detailed to their
overseas commands. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other senior
Pentagon officials still are considering the request, but haven't yet come
to a decision.