Wednesday, January 12 2005 13:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: US President George W Bush yesterday (Jan 11, 2005) chose Judge Michael Chertoff to head the Homeland Security department created to prevent terror strikes on the US.

If confirmed by the Senate, Chertoff, 51, will replace Tom Ridge as Secretary of Homeland Security, a department created after the September 11, 2001 terrorist strikes.

"Mike," Bush said, "is a talented and experienced public servant. In his stellar career, he has been a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; he's been an Assistant Attorney General of the US; he's been the US Attorney for New Jersey, a federal prosecutor in New York City and a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice William Brennan.

Bush described Chertoff as a key leader in the war on terror. On September 11, 2001, he noted, Chertoff was managing the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, an 800-person operation devoted to enforcing the nation's criminal laws. In the days after September 11, he helped trace the terrorist attacks to the al Qaeda network.

"He understood immediately that the strategy on the war on terror is to prevent attacks before they occur. His energy and intellect put him at the centre of many vital Homeland Security improvements, especially increased information sharing within the FBI and with state and local officials.

"He's faced countless challenging decisions and has helped to protect his fellow Americans while protecting their civil liberties."

Bush said that the Department of Homeland Security will continue working to reduce the nation's vulnerabilities to weapons of mass destruction and cyberterrorism.