New counter-terrorism offices to be announced next week

A set of presidential executive orders delineating the structure and function of new offices on homeland security, anti-terrorism, cyber security and critical infrastructure protection probably will not be ready until next week at the earliest, an administration official said Tuesday. "The administration is in the final stages of clarifying the respective rules and respective responsibilities of the three new offices," the official said. "We are at endgame, fitting the last pieces together." The new offices include: the White House Office of Homeland Security, which will be headed by former Gov. Tom Ridge; a counter-terrorism office to be led by retired Gen. Wayne Downing; and an office of cyber security and critical infrastructure, which will be led by Richard Clarke, the White House counter-terrorism chief under former President Clinton. The relationship of the three offices is not finalized, but Ridge will be "first among equals," the official said.