Rice Testimony Before 9/11 Commission

This page will be updated as information is released by the Center for American Progress.

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice has her work cut out for her Thursday morning when she testifies to the 9/11 Commission. In the sorry history of the Bush administration's attempts to derail the Commission, her testimony will be a defining moment. Rice has quite a job to do in explaining:

• Her initial refusal to testify;
• The contradictions between her recent statements about 9/11 and previous sworn testimony, including that of Richard Clarke;
• The administration's reluctance to take responsibility in any way for the events of 9/11; and, most importantly
• The administration's lack of urgency in focusing on the threat of terrorism and al Qaeda before 9/11.

Today's Coverage:

Condi's 'Safe' Fantasy, by Husain Haqqani, April 9, 2004
Condoleezza Rice stated the obvious when she told the 9/11 Inquiry Commission, "there was no silver bullet that could have prevented the 9/11 attacks."

Statement On Rice Testimony, by John Podesta, April 8, 2004
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice's testimony before the 9/11 Commission today established new and important facts.

Bush Administration Warned 'Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States,' April 8, 2004
Two and a half years after 9/11, the American public learned today that President Bush received explicit warnings that Osama bin Laden was planning to attack the United States – including activities "consistent with preparations for hijacking."

Claim vs. Fact: Rice's Q&A Testimony Before the 9/11 Commission, April 8, 2004
CLAIM: "I do not remember any reports to us, a kind of strategic warning, that planes might be used as weapons." FACT: Condoleezza Rice was the top National Security official with President Bush at the July 2001 G-8 summit in Genoa. There, "U.S. officials were warned that Islamic terrorists might attempt to crash an airliner" into the summit, prompting officials to "close the airspace over Genoa and station antiaircraft guns at the city's airport."

Claim vs. Fact: Condoleezza Rice's Opening Statement, April 8, 2004
CLAIM: "We decided immediately to continue pursuing the Clinton Administration's covert action authorities and other efforts to fight the network." FACT: Newsweek reported that "In the months before 9/11, the U.S. Justice Department curtailed a highly classified program called 'Catcher's Mitt' to monitor al-Qaida suspects in the United States."

Responses of Condoleezza Rice in the Weeks Before Her Testimony, April 8, 2004
The president asked if Iraq was complicit. Anybody should have asked whether Iraq was complicit given our history with Iraq.

Pre-testimony Coverage:

A Precedent-Setting Appearance, by Bruce Ackerman, April 8, 2004
Condoleezza Rice appears today before the Sept. 11 Commission on condition that her testimony "should not be cited as a precedent." In fact, it is an important precedent and it should be cited as such.

9/11 Testimony of National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice Viewers' Guide, April 7, 2004
With National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice set to testify before the independent 9/11 Commission Thursday, American Progress asks the tough questions.

Important Questions Condoleezza Rice Won't Be Asked, April 7, 2004
Why was it in our national interests for the administration to facilitate the evacuation of Bin Laden family members and other prominent Saudis from the United States in the days immediately following 9/11?

9/11 Commission: Opposition and Obfuscation, April 7, 2004
As National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice prepares to testify before the 9/11 Commission, the Center for American Progress presents the facts about the Bush administration's record on the commission.

America Is Asking About... The 9/11 Commission, April 6, 2004
After initially forbidding National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice from testifying before the 9/11 Commission, last week the Bush administration made a complete reversal on that decision.

Timeline of Administration Statements on National Security, April 5, 2004
The Center for American Progress has compiled an exhaustive, day-by-day overview of the Bush administration's public statements on national security, defense and international issues from Jan. 20 to Sept. 10, 2001.

Fact Check: Condoleezza Rice's '60 Minutes' Interview, March 28, 2004
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice appeared on CBS's "60 Minutes" in an effort to quell growing questions surrounding the administration's inconsistent claims about its pre-9/11 actions.