(Host) Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy reacted to the testimony yesterday by National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice before the 9-11 Commission. Leahy says Rice shouldn’t be surprised that the commission is questioning the Bush administration’s commitment to fighting terrorism prior to 9-11:
(Leahy) “It really begs the question, well we were against terrorism – how could you suggest we didn’t do our job right? Well we’re all against terrorism, we’re all against terrorism. But not all of us are given the authority and power of the White House to do something about it.”
(Host) Leahy also says Rice sounded defensive whe she mentioned Strategic Missile Defense, insisting it was not part of the first formal national security initiative on September 4:
(Leahy) “They were rather defensive about the fact that they were talking about missile shields, they were talking the Star Wars thing. Even there own scientists said it was iffy proposition at best and really does nothing, nothing, nothing to protect us against terrorists. Now if somebody lobs a missile against us, they do it with a return address on it. We know exactly where the missile comes from and it guarantees the destruction of whoever sent it. When you have a half dozen terrorists against you, you don’t know exactly where they came from.”
(Host) Senator Patrick Leahy, commenting on Condoleezza Rice’s testimony at the 9-11 Commission hearings.