http://www.afterdowningstreet.org:80/?q=node/23589Condi Refuses to Obey Subpoena; Waxman Says He's Delaying His Request for Her to AppearSubmitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2007-06-13 02:46. Congress
Today, in letters to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former CIA Director George Tenet, Chairman Waxman explains that the previously scheduled hearing on the White House's use of pre-war intelligence regarding Iraq's nuclear program has been postponed while the Committee continues to interview senior government officials and review documents being provided by the CIA and State Department. The text of the letters follows:
June 12, 2007
Dear Madam Secretary:
I am writing to notify you that the Oversight Committee has postponed the hearing for which your testimony was subpoenaed, formerly scheduled for June 19, 2007, in order to allow additional time for the Committee to conduct interviews and review documents relating to the White House's use of the pre-war intelligence surrounding the claim that Iraq sought uranium from Africa, and other aspects of its alleged nuclear capability.
The Committee has been conducting interviews and depositions of senior government officials with knowledge of prewar intelligence about Iraq's nuclear program, including George Tenet, former Director of Central Intelligence; John McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence; Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell; and Carl Ford, former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. The Committee plans to conduct additional interviews over the coming weeks. In addition, the CIA and State Department have begun to provide important documents to the Committee.
I hope you will not be inconvenienced by this postponement. The interviews, depositions, and documents are illuminating the Committee's inquiry and will provide the predicate for a more thorough hearing with you.
The Committee will notify you of the new date for the hearing. If you have any questions, please contact me or David Rapallo or Theodore Chuang with the Committee staff at (202) 225-5420.
Sincerely,
Henry A. Waxman
Chairman
Dear Mr. Tenet:
I am writing to notify you that the Oversight Committee has postponed the hearing in which you agreed to testify, formerly scheduled for June 19, 2007, in order to allow additional time for the Committee to conduct interviews and review documents relating to the White House's use of the pre-war intelligence surrounding the claim that Iraq sought uranium from Africa, and other aspects of its alleged nuclear capability.
The Committee has been conducting interviews and depositions of senior government officials with knowledge of prewar intelligence about Iraq's nuclear program, including John McLaughlin, former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence; Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell; and Carl Ford, former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. The Committee plans to conduct additional interviews over the coming weeks. In addition, the CIA and State Department have begun to provide important documents to the Committee.
I hope you will not be inconvenienced by this postponement. The interviews, depositions, and documents are illuminating the Committee's inquiry and will provide the predicate for a more thorough hearing with you.
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