The Hindu : White House changes stance on Rice testimony

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004

International

International

White House changes stance on Rice testimony

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MARCH 30. After adamantly maintaining that the National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, will not appear before the National Commission looking into the attacks of 9/11, the White House has changed tack saying she will testify in public and under oath. Not too long ago, Ms. Rice had met the Commission in private for a four-hour session.

An administration official has been quoted as saying that Ms. Rice will appear before the federal panel but only after getting written assurances from the Commission that this step does not set a precedent. Apparently, the White House has received verbal assurances after its legal counsel reportedly sent a letter to the Commission.

The White House's decision comes after several days of heated discussion on the observations of the former senior official, Richard Clarke. Known as the counter-terrorism `czar,' Mr. Clarke set off a political storm by saying that the Bush administration did not handle the terrorism threat adequately in the months leading to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

What made matters worse for the White House was its refusal to allow Ms. Rice to go public with even Republican members of the Commission wondering aloud if this was not a political blunder of sorts.

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