Rep. Waxman Demands Condi Rice Finally Answer Questions over Iraq Lies: 11 Ignored Letters over 4 Years

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

There's a reason why we call Rep. Henry Waxman the "bulldog." Today Waxman wrote a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanding responses to some 11 inquires he has sent her since 2003 that have gone unanswered.

Why is Waxman renewing his questions now? The only five letters Rice has responded to were co-signed by Republicans when they controlled Congress, consistent with the Bush Administration's apparent policy of ignoring minority party requests, Waxman said. He is now renewing his requests as chairman of the House Oversight Committee in hopes that the election mandate last November will change her mind.

Most of Waxman's unresolved questions surround the fabricated claim in Bush's 2003 State of the Union address that Iraq sought uranium from Niger. Rice is on the record saying, "no one in our circles knew that there were doubts and suspicions that this might be a forgery." Such claims, along with many from President Bush, have themselves proven to be fabricated. We now know the CIA sent a memo directly to the White House Situation Room months in advance warning them that the information was bogus.

Again and again, Waxman demanded answers and accountability but was repeatedly ignored. "As a result of your failure to respond, the Committee still does not know what you knew . . . and when you knew it," Waxman wrote to Rice today.

Rice's snubs have extended well beyond the Niger fabrication. Waxman is also demanding that she finally answer his unresolved questions on such topics as the White House's treatment of classified information, the appointment of an official who was under investigation, and needle exchange programs to battle blood-borne diseases like HIV/AIDS.

"Each of these letters was sent after careful thought and consideration, and they deserve a response," Waxman wrote. "The long delay in responding makes it even more important that you provide the (Reform and Oversight) Committee a complete response to these legitimate and important inquiries."

Waxman did not directly threaten a subpoena, but now that House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers has opened the investigatory floodgates we certainly won't rule it out. Better yet, let's boot her out of Washington altogether along with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who is under more fire than ever for his blatant political corruption and skullduggery.

Click here to access Waxman's letter and previous inquires

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