Las Vegas Sun

April 26, 2024

Letter: Official avoided tough questions

WEEKEND EDITION

April 10 - 11, 2004

After watching the three-hour testimony of national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, I concluded that Homer Simpson could have done the whole thing in a few minutes. Most of what Dr. Rice had to say was a filibuster to use up the time.

If you eliminate all the presidential campaigning for all the great stuff we have been doing since 9-11, and if you eliminate the promotions for how the war on Iraq is really a war on al-Qaida, there isn't much left that she said.

Dr. Rice denied that the Bush administration had any responsibility for anything that happened on its watch, and she denied getting any information prior to 9-11 that might suggest al-Qaida was a threat to attack the United States.

When asked the title of a presidential daily briefing from August 2001, Dr. Rice replied, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside the United States." Thenthe good doctor went on for several minutes explaining how it was all just a history and didn't mean anything. Translation: "D'oh!"

JERRY BITTS

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