Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, we are at war with an enemy who abuses individual rights as it abuses jet airliners: as weapons with which to kill Americans.

We have responded by redefining the mission of the Department of Justice.

Defending our nation and its citizens against terrorist attacks is now our first and overriding priority.



Oil, then, greases the palm of war; and war opens the door to oil.

Now Congress has whipped itself into a veritable frenzy of defence spending, and the Pentagon stands to nab fully half of a $40 billion emergency package approved in the days immediately following the 11 September attack.

On 28 September, William D Hartung noted in Mother Jones that "Lockheed Martin's F-22, which at more than $200 million each is the most expensive fighter plane ever built, will be in a much stronger position to stave off future budget cuts if Congress continues to ramp up Pentagon spending." And that's just for starters.