Intelligence committee chairman backs Condoleezza

The chairman of the US Congressional intelligence committee has given National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice strong backing in the face of Democratic criticism.

But Porter Goss, a Florida Republican, conceded she had faced “a learning curve” on terrorism because she did not have much front-line intelligence experience.

“I think she has served the president very well. She is more than a capable person, she is a brilliant person,” he said.

“Condi came up through the diplomatic circles. She is more of an academic, more cerebral than somebody who has been on front lines of intelligence and law enforcement, and there are some things she has had to focus on and had to learn,” he said.

“She had a learning curve, and I think she has done very well on it.”

He was responding to reports the bipartisan congressional report on pre-September 11 intelligence failures contrasted with comments Rice made in public about what the White House knew about terrorism threats before the attacks with information gathered during the inquiry.

Goss said he does not believe Rice misled the president or the public and he noted she had been in the job only eight months when the attacks occurred on September 11, 2001.

“I don’t think there is anything in the report that casts any shadows at all on Dr Rice’s credibility,” Goss said.

“There may be some interpretation about what is general and what is specific (threat information).”