National security advisor to testify in public under oath, Ambassador nomination

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters March 30 that the White House has decided to allow National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to testify in public under oath to the September 11 Commission. The administration also announced that President Bush and Vice President Cheney would meet with the commission in private.

"This was a decision that the president came to. The president directed the administration, from the very beginning, to cooperate fully with the 9/11 Commission. And that's exactly what we have done all along. And the commission itself has made such statements," McClellan said.

The administration had previously raised concerns with the 9/11 Commission over allowing White House staff to testify publicly under oath because of constitutional issues regarding the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government.

The spokesman addressed those issues saying, "We've now received assurances that this will not affect that principle, that that principle will continue to be upheld and protected for future presidents, so that they can receive the kind of advice, counsel and information they need to protect the American people."

McClellan said, "The commission itself said that they were very pleased with this arrangement, and they think that this continues to show that we are fully committed to providing them all the information that they need."

"Condoleezza Rice looks forward to answering all the questions that they have. It's important for the American people to have the facts," he said. "And she did meet previously with the commission in private for more than four hours. But we were pleased to work with the commission."

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also called the 9/11 Commission, is a 10-member independent bipartisan commission enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Bush in 2002 to study the nation's awareness and response to the terrorist attacks.
BUSH NOMINATES ONE FOR AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA
Christopher R. Hill, of Rhode Island, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Korea.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)