State Department to improve counterterrorism

By Andrea Koppel and Elise Labott
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Besides raising the reward for the capture of Osama bin Laden, senior State Department officials and other senior administration officials told CNN the State Department is looking to boost its counterterrorism budget.

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The officials said the State Department would use its portion of the emergency spending provision to help the government respond to last week's terrorist strikes on New York and Washington.

Nearly $25 million will be used to provide rewards for information leading to the capture of the persons responsible for the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The State Department will use the rest of its $48.9 million allocation to improve emergency communications at domestic facilities and embassies abroad and to have money available to evacuate personnel at high-threat embassies.

The money is part of $5.1 billion in emergency spending to assist in the humanitarian, recovery and national security needs related to the attack. It is the first installment of the $40 billion in emergency funds approved by Congress last week to be distributed among federal agencies. Half of the $40 billion is earmarked for disaster recovery relief efforts in New York and Washington

The Office of Management and Budget has released details of how the first round of money will be spent. Administration officials said the proposed enhancements to the counter-terrorism budget include:

-- Increased funds for international airport security, such as improving links between Interpol and hubs of international air travel

-- Boosting security and counter-terrorism programs abroad to "get the terrorists at the source and prevent them from getting to the U.S."

-- Potential security enhancements at State Department headquarters as well as in embassies throughout the world. Last week, the State Department completed a classified report on the long term costs of improving security in U.S. embassies and overseas posts.

-- Increased funding for counterterrorism training in the United States for both U.S. personnel and U.S. allies. This official said the budget request may include a request to increase the number of diplomatic security agents employed worldwide as well.