Can't say I blame her

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is apparently not thrilled about going under oath for the Kean 9/11 commission:

Poised to convene its first hard-hitting hearings in
January, the federal commission investigating the 9/11 attacks
continues to be at odds with the White House over access to key
information and witnesses. Two government sources tell TIME that
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is arguing over ground rules
for her appearance in part because she does not want to testify under
oath or, according to one source, in public. ...
[GOP commission member John Lehman] also suggested that the 9/11
attacks might have been prevented if mid-level government officials at
various government agencies had done their jobs. As for senior
officials like Rice or her predecessor, Clinton NSA Sandy Berger, and
their bosses, Kean said the commission was still studying whether they
share the blame. Rice could face tough questioning. One Republican
commissioner says a comment by Rice last year�that no one �could
have predicted that they would try to use a�hijacked airplane as a
missile��was "an unfortunate comment . . . that was, of course, a
wrong-footed statement on its face," given that there was years of
intelligence about Al Qaeda's interest in airplane attacks.

God DAMN Condoleeza Rice is in a shitty position. Imagine knowing that
if you don't go under oath you could be held responsible for some (if
not most, given Bush's penchant for passing the buck) of the
catastrophic failures that led to 9/11. Imagine knowing that if you
don't go under oath you're implicating yourself (according to the
media, at least) by default and essentially letting the public's
imagination run wild.
Worse yet, imagine being Condi Rice and having to get investigated
under oath about 9/11 while knowing what she knows.
I mean, I don't think I'm going out on a limb here in saying that there
are probably some well-founded reasons for her not wanting to testify.
But worst of all, imagine knowing in your heart of hearts that you made
a mistake and aligned yourself with the wrong people. Imagine looking
back on your choices and seeing that no matter what happens, your name
will always be associated with such a horrific event.
Update:
Interestingly, I was in the midst of composing an epic blog entry when
I switched to another window to do a Yahoo! search on "condoleeza rice
9/11". Check this out:

2. Condoleeza Rice Warned Willie Brown Not To Fly On 9-11

3. The Truth Seeker - Condoleeza Rice Warned Willie Brown Not To Fly...

6. News Outpost - Condoleeza Rice Warned Willie Brown Not To Fly On...

11. portland imc - 2003.08.11 - Condoleeza Rice Warned Willie Brown ...

16. The March For Justice - Condoleeza Rice Warned Willie Brown Not To Fly On 9-11

Now
I'm not saying I believe in or support this. I'm just pointing out that
in the eye of history, Condoleeza will always be viewed as suspect
unless she goes under oath. Not in all circles of course, but it seems
like more and more people are starting to think that more could have
and should have been done to prevent 9/11. Including Thomas Kean,
former Republican Governor and Bush appointee as Chair of the 9/11 Investigatory Committee:

For the first time, the chairman of the independent
commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks is saying publicly that
9/11 could have and should have been prevented, reports CBS News
Correspondent Randall Pinkston. "This is a very, very important part of
history and we've got to tell it right," said Thomas Kean. "As you read
the report, you're going to have a pretty clear idea what wasn't done
and what should have been done," he said. "This was not something that
had to happen." Appointed by the Bush administration, Kean, a former
Republican governor of New Jersey, is now pointing fingers inside the
administration and laying blame. "There are people that, if I was doing
the job, would certainly not be in the position they were in at that
time because they failed. They simply failed," Kean said.

I probably wouldn't want to testify under oath either. That's a
horrible position to be in. But she's got to testify. It's the only way
for her to clear her name.

Posted by flow Frazao on December 22, 2003 at 11:19 PM | Permalink