Rice avoids protesters, doesn’t address torture questions

By David Edwards
Monday, November 9th, 2009 -- 11:26 am
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Condi RiceSome audience members at a speech by Condoleezza Rice were upset Sunday that the former secretary of state didn't address her role in the Bush administration's authorization of torture.

Rice spoke at a synagogue in Minneapolis as about 100 protesters outside called for her to explain her role in the torture of terrorism suspects. But inside, Rice didn't address the controversy and focused her remarks on defending the Bush administration's aggressive actions post-911.

"Every day, terrorists plotted and they planned," Rice told the audience. "We had to recognize that they had to be right only once, and we had to be right 100 percent of the time and that was an unfair fight."

The Minnesota Daily reported that Rice avoided the controversial subject of harsh interrogations authorized by the Bush administration.

During the question and answer segment that followed Rice’s speech, she answered queries relating to the United States’ stance on the Iranian nuclear weapons program, Chinese-U.S. relations and the importance of education, among other topics.

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Kaitlyn Steffenhagen, a St. Louis Park High School senior, said Rice did not address questions about her involvement in authorizing torture during her role under the Bush administration, which angered some of the attendees.

Protesters carried signs saying "Try Condi Rice for war crimes" and "Would Jesus waterboard?," among other things.

While Rice ignored the protesters' calls for comment, she supported their right to demonstrate. "I'm glad we’re in a democracy where [people] can protest, and I’m very glad that the people of Iraq and Kabul can too," said Rice as she was leaving the speech.

This video is from The Uptake, broadcast Nov. 8, 2009.



Download video via RawReplay.com

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Story comments are below...
  • miggy
    “The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated. That four great nations, flushed with victory and stung with injury stay the hand of vengeance and voluntarily submit their captive enemies to the judgment of the law is one of the most significant tributes that Power has ever paid to Reason.”

    “If we can cultivate in the world the idea that aggressive war-making is the way to the prisoner’s dock rather than the way to honors, we will have accomplished something toward making the peace more secure.”

    “We must never forget that the record on which we judge these defendants is the record on which history will judge us tomorrow. To pass these defendants a poisoned chalice is to put it to our own lips as well.”

    “If certain acts of violation of treaties are crimes, they are crimes whether the United States does them or whether Germany does them, and we are not prepared to lay down a rule of criminal conduct against others which we would not be willing to have invoked against us.”

    ~ Robert H. Jackson, chief United States prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials.

    The United States of America War Criminals:

    1. Bush
    2. Cheney
    3. Rumsfeld
    4. Rice
    5. Wolfowitz
    6. Powell
    7. Gonzales
    8. Feith
    9. Addington
    10. Yoo

    Indict.

    Prosecute.

    Convict.

    Punish.
  • winski
    Hopefully she was advised by her lawyer that anything she said in that context WOULD be used against her in her WAR CRIMES TRIAL in the Hague.
  • Just like most Bushies, she still thinks she's above the law!
  • dennycrane
    She's Idi Amin's daughter with "blood" on her expensive boots.
  • bobdevo
    If we had a REAL attorney general . . instead of a pathetic corporate tool . . . her skank behind would be in prison where she belongs.
  • Johnbo
    The people of Iraq and Afghanistan are GRATEFUL for our invasion/destruction of their countries???

    Who knew??
  • reuterspiel
    Nice retoric Condi. Bush, the evildoer must have been a good mentor.
  • emkay
    " But inside, Rice didn't address the controversy and focused her remarks on defending the Bush administration's aggressive actions post-911."
    What about the Bush Admin's aggressive actions to launch 911???!!!
    And by the way Condi,you war mongering.lying,criminal: you are also UGLY as SIN!!
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