Rice wants to set record straight

Rice: Rejects claims made in testimony by aide Richard Clarke

Condoleezza Rice has requested a second opportunity to talk in private to the independent commission investigating the 11 September 2001 attacks.

The White House national security adviser was criticised for failing to appear in this week's public hearings.

In a letter to the commission Ms Rice said a new session would allow her to clear up "mischaracterisations" of her statements and positions.

Many relatives of the victims had hoped she would testify in public.

Behind closed doors

"In light of yesterday's hearing in which there were a number of mischaracterisations of Dr Rice's statements and positions, Ms Rice requests to meet again privately with the commission," White House counsel Alberto Gonzalez wrote to the chairman and co-chairman of the commission.

Mr Gonzalez also defended the fact that Ms Rice has refused to testify in public, saying it was usual practice for national security advisers to decline to testify publicly.

ISSUES FOR COMMISSION Congressional oversight and state of aviation security Terrorism, al-Qaeda, and the Muslim world Intelligence warnings against trans-national threats Emergency preparedness Security and liberty Border and aviation security

"In order for President Bush and future presidents to continue to receive the best and most candid possible advice from their White House staff on counter-terrorism and other national security issues, it is important that these advisers not be compelled to testify publicly before congressional bodies such as the commission," he said.

Earlier, White House spokesman Scott McClellan had indicated to reporters travelling with President George W Bush that Ms Rice particularly wanted to clear up "some of the assertions that were made" by former counter-terrorism aide Richard Clarke in his testimony.

At a press briefing on Wednesday Dr Rice accused Mr Clarke, her former employee, of shifting positions from backing Mr Bush's war on terrorism to questioning it.

Complacency complaint

Ms Rice met privately with the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States for about four hours on 7 February.

When he appeared before the commission Mr Clarke accused Mr Bush and other senior members of his administration of not treating the threat of al-Qaeda seriously enough prior to the 11 September attacks in New York and Washington in which 3,000 people died.

The US secretaries of state and defence rejected that criticism on Thursday, saying that soon after coming into office, Mr Bush had ordered a comprehensive strategy to destroy al-Qaeda.

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also said he had received no prior intelligence of imminent attacks.

In a preliminary report on its findings so far, the commission said both the administration of former President Bill Clinton and the current administration were too slow in moving away from diplomatic pressure to direct military action as a way of dealing with the al-Qaeda leadership.