Can you believe that figure? I mean, what else could $44 billion have been used for? That figure is half of what was spent a decade ago on the 16 intelligence agencies cited.

Security is great but that much? Mind you, that is not the defence budget! What do you think?

Let's keep all this in proper perspective with the following details"

[...The budget includes money for the CIA, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and FBI intelligence programmes, as well as agencies within the state and treasury departments.

The figure does not include what is spent by the US military on gathering intelligence.

Mr McConnell, releasing a brief statement highlighting the main figure, made it clear he did not intend to give more details.

"Any and all information concerning the intelligence budget, whether the information concerns particular intelligence agencies or particular intelligence programmes, will not be disclosed," he said.

Intelligence officials have argued that detailed figures could be used by others to track fluctuations in spending and so ascertain information about secret intelligence schemes.

Former CIA director George Tenet released the budget figures for 1997 ($26.6bn) and 1998 ($26.7bn), saying he saw no risk to national security in doing so.

Intelligence spending increased significantly after the 11 September, 2001, terror attacks on the US.

The 2007 figure is greater than the national economies of all but the world's 60 or so richest nations.]