WASHINGTON, March 3: US Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle clamoured on Sunday for Congress to be treated as a “co-equal branch of government”, calling for more information on the “war on terror” and the “shadow government” devised to ensure continuity if the executive branch is wiped out by terrorists.

“What I am afraid of is not having all the information, not being the co-equal branch of government, as we make these decisions that I think are so important,” Daschle told Fox television.

Daschle had criticized the US administration’s “war on terrorism” on Thursday, charging that it had undergone an “expansion without at least a clear direction”.

He says Congress must have certain “operational information” to properly assess the need for President George W. Bush’s requested 48 billion dollar increase for the 2003 defense budget.—AFP