WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is considering lifting a decades-old executive order banning US involvement in assassinations overseas, as the United States prepared to wage war against "terrorism".
Wary that the people involved in plotting the staggering attacks last week may still be on US soil, the administration also sought quick congressional action on proposals to expand the FBI's ability to conduct wiretaps, track money laundering and detain foreigners.
"We do believe that people involved in the terrorist attack with connections to terrorist groups may be present in the United States," said Justice Department spokeswoman Mindy Tucker.
"We believe that that is a significant enough threat to warrant quick action on Congress' part."
In Tuesday's choreographed attack, hijackers took control of four US airliners, crashing two into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre and a third into the Pentagon.
A fourth airliner was brought down in Pennsylvania.
Hundreds of people are confirmed dead and thousands more missing and presumed dead in the attacks.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said the administration was reviewing the 1976 executive order enacted by President Gerald Ford banning US personnel from engaging in, or conspiring to engage in, assassinations.
"It's still on the books and as part of our campaign plan we are examining everything -- how the CIA does its work, how the FBI and Justice Department does its work, are there laws that need to be changed and new laws brought into effect to give us more ability to deal with this kind of threat?" Powell said on CNN's Late Edition programme.
"So everything is under review."
Along with lifting the assassination ban, Vice President Dick Cheney said CIA field officers may once again be allowed to recruit foreign agents linked to human rights violations to conduct the "mean, nasty, dirty, dangerous business" of spying on extremist groups.
The administration has named Saudi exile Osama bin Laden as a prime suspect in the hijacked airliner assaults on New York and Washington, sparking speculation US retaliation might involve killing the multimillionaire leader of the al-Qaeda network, who is believed to live in Afghanistan.
- REUTERS
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