Posted on 03/29/2004 12:34:01 AM PST by kattracks
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice told CBS's 60 Minutes" Sunday evening that she wants very much to testify publicly before the 9/11 Commission, but that such a move would break with the important precedent of executive privilege. I would really like to do that," she told Ed Brady during the interview at Washingtons Executive Offices building, but there is an important principle -- its long standing that sitting National Security Advisors do not testify before the Congress.When Brady pressed, arguing that the 9/11 attacks were such a defining moment that executive privilege should be put aside, Rice countered, This commission is not concentrating on the day 9/11.
When asked about the now infamous meeting on Sept 12, 2001 where former terror advisor Richard Clarke said he was talked to in an intimidating way by the president challenging him to find a nexus between Saddam Hussein and the attacks, Rice defended by saying, Ive never seen the president talk to his staff in an intimidating way.
The president asked [Clark] a perfectly logical question, considering the animosity between the two countries, Rice added. When we went to Camp David, it was a map of Afghanistan that was rolled out on the table.
Our energy and attention was on Afghanistan, she added.
Rice further disagreed with Clarkes characterization of the terrorism issue being underestimated by the administration. Of course it was an urgent problem. We were looking for a more comprehensive plan in the meantime continuing with the Clinton plans.
When pressed by Brady that the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Henry Shelton had opined that the administration had put terrorism on the back burner, Rice countered: I dont know what else we could have done but continue with policies while we developed a more robust policy.
Im saying that the administration took seriously the threat, she added. I dont know what a 'greater sense of urgency' would have done.
When asked the inevitable question about the lack of finding of weapons of mass destruction and no proof of a Saddam-9/11 link, Rice responded, The war on terrorism is a broad war not a narrow one. Iraq under Saddam was a destabilizing influence. The world is now safer war, and the war on terrorism has been served.
When asked if the president should apologize to the American people the way Clark did during his testimony on Capitol Hill, Rice responded, The families have heard from the president, and in some cases from me, how sorry we are [for their losses in the tragedy of 9/11]. We need to stay focused. The best thing we can do is to focus on those who did this to us.
Rice noted that looking back to 80s and 90s, it was clear that terror attacks were becoming bolder. But we were not being aggressive." Using the attack on the Marines in Beirut as an example, she noted that the unfortunate impression gleaned by the enemy was that if we took casualties, we would not respond.
All thats changed now, argued Rice. They are going to be defeated.
We are being attack because they know we are at war with them.
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