Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, not long ago I had the privilege of sitting where you now sit. I have the greatest reverence and respect for the constitutional responsibilities you shoulder. I will continue to consult with Congress so that you may fulfill your constitutional responsibilities. In some areas, however, I cannot and will not consult you.

The advice I give to the President, whether in his role as Commander-in-Chief or in any other capacity, is privileged and confidential. I cannot and will not divulge the contents, the context, or even the existence of such advice to anyone - including Congress - unless the President instructs me to do so.

I cannot and will not divulge information, nor do I believe that anyone here would wish me to divulge information, that will damage the national security of the United States, the safety of its citizens or our efforts to ensure the same in an ongoing investigation.




All this is not to say that evil individuals with insalubrious oil and defence interests are working behind the scenes to manipulate US foreign policy. It does seem, however, that gaining a secure foothold in Central Asia will benefit a few members of the present administration, as well as their former employers, not to mention the military-industrial complex as a whole.

In other words, the defence industry will make money off waging war, and the oil industry will benefit from a US military presence in or around Afghanistan. If one happens to be active in both -- well, sounds like a textbook win-win situation.