The Bush administration is hoping to recruit one million potential informants by next month for the first stage of a counterterrorism measure that has civil-liberties advocates appalled.

In time, as many as 4 per cent of Americans could be spying on their neighbours, a proportion that would exceed even the network set up by the former East Germany's notorious Stasi spy-service.

The Terrorism Information and Prevention System (Operation TIPS) will use letter-carriers, utility workers and others who normally have access to private homes to keep watch on suspicious characters in 10 U.S. cities, which have not been disclosed.

Operation TIPS will give these volunteer watchers a channel through which to pass their concerns to the Justice Department, who will consolidate any information gathered in a widely available database. The information will be accessible within the department as well as by state and local agencies and state police forces.

The American Civil Liberties Union has "questioned the prudence" of the idea in an alarmed statement, saying that law-enforcement officials might use these informants to conduct what amount to warrantless searches of suspects' homes.

"The administration apparently wants to implement a program that will turn local cable or gas or electrical technicians into government-sanctioned peeping toms," said Rachel King, an ACLU lawyer.

The Bush administration puts a more benign face on the program, which is part of the broader Citizen Corps program rolled out this spring.

"This broad network of volunteer efforts (Citizen Corps) will harness the power of the American people by relying on their individual skills and interests to prepare local communities to effectively prevent and respond to the threats of terrorism, crime or any kind of disaster," the administration says.

Separate from the Citizen Corps, President George W. Bush announced Tuesday the formation of a cabinet-level security department focused on homeland defence, which will be second in size only to the Pentagon. The plan promises to overhaul, expand and consolidate defence systems within the United States.

Deputy Prime Minister John Manley said after a cabinet meeting in Ottawa that he had not had a chance to properly examine the plan, but that it was being forwarded to his office by Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge.

"We will need to look very closely at it to determine what its implications are for us," he told reporters.

The Citizen Corps initiative may prove more contentious. But the Bush administration says it is nothing to fear, and is in fact nothing more than the natural extension of the "volunteerism and unity" shown after last fall's terrorist attacks. "Sustaining that spirit," the program's Web site explains, "is crucial to defending the freedoms America holds dear."

Critics argue that, far from defending America's freedoms, such programs subvert them — and they warn that the dangers could go beyond constitutional violations.

"Snitching creates a culture in which every encounter between two citizens is mediated by authority: Big Brother is always in the room with you," warned YellowTimes columnist Gabriel Ash. "And even if it isn't, you have to behave as if it is."

"Snitching creates a culture of paranoia. It isolates people, breaks down social solidarity, and prevents exchange of information between members of society. Everyone becomes obsessed with watching their own back. Nobody is a friend. Nobody can be trusted."