Rice meets with Jewish students in Washington
Talking to 4th, 5th and 6th graders, former US secretary of state addresses criticism against Bush administration in regards to detainees' torture tactics
Rice addressed 4th, 5th and 6th graders at the American capital's Jewish Primary Day School, and later delivered a speech at an event in honor of slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue.
Both events raised a lot of media interest, particularly on the backdrop of reports that Rice, during her terms as former President George W. Bush's national security advisor, signed off on interrogation techniques against terror detainees in the years following the September 11 terror attacks.
Speaking at the school's gymnasium, Rice told the students about her love for Israel, her travels abroad and the importance of learning languages. The children were then given the opportunity to ask questions.
Student Misha Lerner presented the former secretary of state with the question all reporters were waiting for: The claims made by the Obama administration about the methods used by the Bush administration to get information from detainees.
Rice began by saying that she did not wish to criticize the Obama administration. "Let me just say that President Bush was very clear that he wanted to do everything he could to protect the country. After September 11, we wanted to protect the country," she said.
"But he was also very clear that we would do nothing, nothing, that was against the law or against our obligations internationally. So the president was only willing to authorize policies that were legal in order to protect the country."
Attempting to explain the background of the interrogations, she added, "I hope you understand that it was a very difficult time. We were all so terrified of another attack on the country. September 11 was the worst day of my life in government, watching 3,000 Americans die. . . .
"Even under those most difficult circumstances, the president was not prepared to do something illegal, and I hope people understand that we were trying to protect the country."
