Condoleezza

Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice took a day off from work last week to be treated at Georgetown University Hospital for what news organizations described as minor surgery. In fact, Rice, 50, President Bush's national security adviser, underwent a surgical procedure to treat noncancerous tumors of the uterus. These tumors, called fibroids, are one of the largest health issues facing American women today, with nearly half of all women older than 35 afflicted. While the tumors are almost always noncancerous, they range in severity from hardly noticeable to very painful.

WASHINGTON - National security adviser Condoleezza Rice defended the emphatic statements she made in the run-up to the Iraq war that Saddam Husssein was rebuilding his nuclear weapons program, as a news report said that prominent officials had voiced doubts much earlier about the evidence behind her claims. Rice acknowledged that she knew in 2002 of a "dispute" among intelligence officials about a central piece of evidence she and other senior Bush administration officials were using to justify the war - that Hussein was trying to obtain high-strength aluminum tubes to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

ARLINGTON, Va. - She spoke with authority. That was my first impression of National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice as she faced the commission investigating how 9/11 happened and what might be done to prevent future attacks on American soil. Mere mortals would have melted during the three hours of sometimes-intense questioning, but Ms. Rice didn't even break a sweat. One might have thought she was engaging in after-dinner conversation and not the high drama that persuaded the three broadcast networks to interrupt the banalities they usually carry in the morning for something - and someone - of substance.

WASHINGTON - For all Condoleezza Rice's practiced skill at defending President Bush, her long-awaited grilling by the Sept. 11 commission yesterday raised new questions about how attentive her boss was to the threat of a terrorist attack and whether he is following the right strategy for defending the country by waging war in Iraq. Bush didn't have to read beyond the title of an intelligence document he received while on vacation in Texas on Aug. 6, 2001, to know that Osama bin Laden's ambition went beyond overseas attacks - which were the focus of most of what Rice said was the terrorist threat information received up to that point.

WASHINGTON - Laughs, boos and applause created an off-camera soundtrack to the Sept. 11 commission hearing yesterday. Much of the noise came from relatives of victims of the attack, who made up about half the audience when National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice testified about her actions before the terrorist strike. Rice's voice was firm and confident throughout most of the testimony - although it wavered during acrimonious exchanges with former Sen. Bob Kerrey, whose 10-minute portion of the hearing stirred the greatest passions.

Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste: Did you tell the president, at any time prior to August 6, of the existence of al-Qaida cells in the United States? National security adviser Condoleezza Rice: First, let me just make certain ... Ben-Veniste: If you could just answer that question because I only have a very limited ... Rice: I understand, commissioner, but it's important ... Ben-Veniste: Did you tell the president ... Rice: ... that I also address ... (Applause) It's also important that, commissioner, that I address the other issues that you have raised.

WASHINGTON -- Condoleezza Rice faces not just the 9/11 commission but the specter of Richard A. Clarke, the disgruntled former White House counterterrorism expert who did his best to undermine the credibility of his former boss when he testified before the commission March 24. The main thrust of Mr. Clarke's testimony was that Ms. Rice and the entire Bush team were insufficiently attentive to terrorism as an imminent threat. And the media played right along, parroting Mr. Clarke's criticism with front-page news stories questioning Ms. Rice's pre-9/11 judgment.

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will offer long-awaited testimony today before the national commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Will she rebut Richard A. Clarke, President George W. Bush's former counterterrorism adviser, who sharply criticized her last month for allegedly neglecting concerns about al-Qaida? Will she argue that President Bush was truly focused on terrorism before the attacks? Whatever tack she takes, the book on Rice suggests today's will be a performance worth watching.

WASHINGTON -- Fellow Republicans increased pressure yesterday on national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify publicly under oath before the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, with one panel member saying the White House was making "a political blunder." Rice, in a prime-time television interview, reiterated the White House argument that the president's top advisers should not be forced to testify in public. "We have absolutely nothing to hide," she insisted. "I've already spent four hours with the commission.

WASHINGTON - National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice opened a White House public relations campaign yesterday promoting postwar policies in Iraq after taking over some of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's responsibilities for Iraq reconstruction. Rice spoke in Chicago as Rumsfeld broke ranks with the usually harmonious administration to publicly grumble that he had not been consulted by Rice about her plan to have the White House National Security Council assume wider responsibility in Iraq for reconstruction, economic development, political steps toward democracy and public relations.