Ex-aide says Rice misled Congress on Iran

I reported the other day on how Condoleeza Rice is claiming she has no memory of ever been shown a fax from Iran offering to recognise Israel and how an aide of hers says he finds this claim "really quite curious".

Well, now Flynt Leverett, who worked on the National Security Council when it was headed by Rice - and is the man who claims he knows for a fact that the fax was put on her desk - has gone further. He now says that Condi has misled Congress.

Leverett, speaking at a conference hosted by the New America Foundation think tank, said the 2003 overture "was a serious proposal" for a comprehensive agenda for U.S.-Iranian rapprochement.

"The Bush administration up to and including Secretary Rice is misleading Congress and the American public about the Iran proposal," he said.

Testifying before a U.S. Congress committee last week, Rice, said about Leverett's previous public comments on the Iranian proposal: "I don't know what Flynt Leverett's talking about."

She faulted him for not telling her, "We have a proposal from Iran and we really ought to take it."

On Wednesday, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "What she said is she has no recollection of having seen it. She has said that repeatedly."

Now I don't claim to know all the workings of the American system but here in Britain there is no more serious charge that can be made against a parliamentarian than to claim that they have misled the house. This is a very serious charge I presume.

As proof of this Leverett recalls a conversation he had with Colin Powell who dismissed the Iranian proposal saying that he "couldn't sell it at the White House." Leverett says that this proves that the matter was discussed there. I'm not sure it does prove that, it could simply be that - knowing the thoughts of the Bush administration - Powell simply decided there was no point bringing it up. However, it does undermine Condi's point as, if Powell was aware of a fax that landed on Condi's desk, how could Rice possibly be unaware of it?

Now I know she's relying on a defence of amnesia:

But I think I would have noticed if the Iranians had said, 'We're ready to recognize Israel.' . . . I just don't remember ever seeing any such thing."

However, given the fact that she herself admits that such an offer would have stood out, and that Powell was obviously aware of the proposal - or how could he know whether or not it was sellable to the White House? - then Condi's bad memory really does begin to sound like an act of convenience.

Especially as Condi is already on record talking about this proposal.

In June 2006, Rice had indicated that she was familiar with the proposal. She was asked about the offer during an interview with National Public Radio, and she appeared to provide the first official confirmation that it existed.

``What the Iranians wanted earlier was to be one-on-one with the United States so that this could be about the United States and Iran,'' Rice said then. She contrasted that with the current U.S. stance, in which the United States has offered to join European-led talks with Iran over its nuclear program if Iran meets preconditions. Iran has refused.

How could she discuss this offer on National Public Radio if, indeed, she was unaware that it even existed?

Leverett has now considerably upped the ante. He says flat out that Condi is lying. The House Foreign Affairs Committee should ask Condi back to discuss how she claimed last week to have never heard of an offer that she openly discussed on radio in June 2006.

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tag: Rice, Flynt Leverett, Iran, Israel, offer,