Waxman Lays the Pressure on Rice

[babylonsister]

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2285/Waxman_Lays_the_Pressure_on_Rice

Waxman Lays the Pressure on Rice
Calls Info Supplied "Inadequate," Reasserts Request to Testify
By CHRISTINA DAVIDSON Posted 3 hr. 0 min. ago



Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, fired another pointed letter off to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on Monday, again demanding information regarding the fraudelent claim that Niger supplied uranium to Saddam Hussein.

Since assuming chairmanship of the oversight committee, Waxman has stepped up the pressure in examining pre-war manipulation of intelligence by Bush Administration officials. On March 12, Waxman forwarded a letter to Rice requesting information by March 23 about the Niger uranium claim in Bush's 2003 State of the Union speech.

The State Department never responded, and so on March 30 Waxman sent a request for her to answer the questions in testimony before his committee. On April 3 he received what he calls an "inadequate" response from Jeffrey Bergner assistant secretary for legislative affairs.

In his return letter to Rice, Waxman states:

I asked you to answer specific questions raised in a June 10, 2003, letter and a July 29,2003, 1etter, both of which I enclosed. These questions included: (1) whether you had any knowledge that would explain why President Bush cited forged evidence about Iraq's efforts to procure uranium from Niger in the State of the Union address; (2) whether you knew before the State of the Union address of the doubts raised by the CIA and the State Department about the veracity of the Niger claim; (3) whether there was a factual basis for your reference in a January 23,2003, op-ed to "Iraq's efforts to get uranium from abroad"; and (4) whether you took appropriate steps to investigate how the Niger claim ended up in the State of the Union address after it was revealed to be fraudulent.

Rather than address any of these questions, Mr. Bergner forwarded copies of two old State Department letters that have no bearing whatsoever on your knowledge of, your role in, or your statements about the Niger claim.

Mr. Bergner also failed to respond to the Committee's questions about the seemingly inconsistent way in which the White House has responded to leaks of classified information, such as the disclosure of the identity of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson.

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[Richard D]

1. I think I'd rather face an angry pitbull

than to have Waxman after me.

[theoldman]

2. Waxman will deserve a medal for his efforts.

Rice of course will make every effort to refuse to answer his questions. I still think that she is third on the list after Rove and Chaney.

[Supersedeas]

6. demanding the Dr. Rice tell the truth and not filibuster innane ambiguities is a challenge

[valerief]

3. He's the man. I'd like to see that CondOILeeza get nailed (in the bad

way, not the good way).

[GreenTea]

4. About time someone has, with the unqualified piece of Rice shit!

[Supersedeas]

5. very specific questions re: Congressional oversight--does the SoS recognize oversight?