White House and Commission Spar Over Condoleezza Rice's Testimony

The staff of the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks is conducting a detailed review of all discrepancies found in public and private statements by Condoleezza Rice and Richard A. Clarke, with the goal of preparing questions for Ms. Rice's upcoming testimony. The White House is trying to limit any potential political damage by having Ms. Rice testify quickly, while commission members want to schedule her sworn testimony by the end of next week. This comes as Mr. Clarke continues to make claims that the Bush administration, and Ms. Rice in particular, largely ignored threats by Al Qaeda before the Sept. 11 attacks.

Key Takeaways:

• The commission's staff is conducting a detailed review of discrepancies in public and private statements by Condoleezza Rice and Richard A. Clarke.
• The White House is trying to limit potential political damage by having Ms. Rice testify quickly.
• The commission wants to schedule Ms. Rice's sworn testimony by the end of next week.
• Richard A. Clarke has made claims that the Bush administration, and Ms. Rice in particular, largely ignored threats by Al Qaeda before the Sept. 11 attacks.
• The commission's chairman, Thomas H. Kean, suggests that the questioning of Ms. Rice will center on the early months of the Bush administration.
• The Congressional investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks in 2002 found evidence to support Mr. Clarke's contention that the Bush administration had paid too little attention to terror in the months before the Sept. 11 attacks.
• Eleanor J. Hill, the former staff director of the bipartisan joint Congressional inquiry, said there were no major factual discrepancies between Mr. Clarke's testimony last week and his testimony to Congress two years ago.
• The White House is insisting on playing a role in the declassification of Richard A. Clarke's 2002 testimony, fearing that it would show glaring inconsistencies in his account of the Bush administration's performance on counterterrorism.
• Representative Jane Harman, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, issued a preemptive complaint against what she warned might be "selective declassification" on the part of the White House.

Statistics:

• The commission's staff is conducting a detailed review of discrepancies in public and private statements by 2 individuals: Condoleezza Rice and Richard A. Clarke.
• The White House is trying to schedule Ms. Rice's testimony for "next week".
• The commission wants to schedule Ms. Rice's sworn testimony by the end of "next week".
• 10-member bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks.
• 2 individuals mentioned as making claims: Richard A. Clarke and Condoleezza Rice.
• The Congressional investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks in 2002 found evidence to support Mr. Clarke's contention that the Bush administration had paid too little attention to terror in the months before the Sept. 11 attacks.
• 1 former staff director of the bipartisan joint Congressional inquiry: Eleanor J. Hill.
• 1 transcript of Mr. Clarke's testimony was sent to the N.S.C. for review last Thursday.
• 1 standard procedure for declassification reviews involving agencies like the N.S.C.
• 1 transcript of Mr. Clarke's testimony was sent to the C.I.A. on Friday.
• 1 agency involved in declassification reviews: the N.S.C.
• 1 role of the N.S.C. in declassification reviews: the agency will play a role.

Sources:

• "The New York Times," unidentified author, Wednesday, [no date], unidentified page ( staff of the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks is conducting a detailed review of all discrepancies found in public and private statements by Condoleezza Rice and Richard A. Clarke).
• "The New York Times," unidentified author, Tuesday, [no date], unidentified page (President Bush announced Tuesday that he would allow Ms. Rice to testify at a public hearing, reversing himself after the White House had argued for weeks that testimony by such a senior presidential aide would erode the president's constitutional authority).
• "The New York Times," unidentified author, Wednesday, [no date], unidentified page (Commission members, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the panel's staff had been asked in the wake of Mr. Clarke's testimony last week to carefully review all testimony and other remarks that both he and Ms. Rice had made since Sept. 11).
• CNN, unidentified author, Wednesday, [no date], unidentified page (The commission's chairman, Thomas H. Kean, suggested Wednesday that the questioning of Ms. Rice would center on the early months of the Bush administration).
• The New York Times, Wednesday, [no date], unidentified page, (Eleanor J. Hill, the former staff director of the bipartisan joint Congressional inquiry, said the Congressional investigation turned up evidence to support Mr. Clarke's contention that the Bush administration had paid too little attention to terror in the months before the Sept. 11 attacks).
• The New York Times, Wednesday, [no date], unidentified page, (Representative Jane Harman, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, issued a preemptive complaint against what she warned might be "selective declassification" on the part of the White House).
• The New York Times, Wednesday, [no date], unidentified page, (The White House is insisting on playing a role in the declassification of Richard A. Clarke's 2002 testimony).