The US President, George W Bush, has nominated an appeals court judge to succeed Tom Ridge as the head of the US Department of Homeland Security.
Michael Chertoff's appointment has to be confirmed by a Senate committee before he can take office.
Mr Chertoff was head of the US Justice Department's criminal division at the time of the 11 September attacks, and played a key role in drafting the anti-terror legislation that followed.
Announcing Mr Chertoff's nomination, Mr Bush said that he was a practical organiser, a skilled manager and a brilliant thinker.
Britons to return from Guantanamo
Separately in Britain, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, has announced that the four remaining Britons detained by the US in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba are to be returned in the next few weeks.
They have been held for almost three years as part of what the US called a 'war on terror'.
Mr Straw told the House of Commons that once back in Britain, the police will consider whether to arrest them for questioning in connection with possible terrorist activity.
The move follows intensive discussions with the US to address its security concerns.
Human rights campaigners have been outraged at the treatment of the detainees in Cuba.
The Pentagon has said there are still 550 detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Five other Britons were released from the centre last year.
