Cliff Stearns: “on September 19, 2002, in a Wall Street Journal editorial, former CIA Director James Woolsey described the central…”

“on September 19, 2002, in a Wall Street Journal editorial, former CIA Director James Woolsey described the central challenge we face in the global war on terrorism as the United States' dependence on imported oil. My colleagues, this dependence is providing our enemy with so much leverage that defeating terrorism has become significantly harder. Let me quote from Mr. Woolsey: ``We are at war. We should start by asking what we can do as soon as possible to undercut our enemies' power. Other considerations should now follow, not lead. If we do not act now, we will leave major levers over our fate in the hands of regimes that have attacked us or have fallen under the sway of fanatics who spread hatred of the United States and, indeed, of freedom itself. For all of them, their power derives from their oil. It is time to break their sword.'' In order for the United States to effectively fight global terrorism and win in Iraq, we must first reduce our dangerous dependence on imported oil.”