Rice gets tough questions about war

George Voinovich read portions of a letter from a man who lost his son in Iraq.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was expecting some tough questions on the long-term U.S. commitment on Iraq when she went before skeptical senators Wednesday. The lawmakers, however, let war-weary constituents do some of the talking.
Rice appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations committee for only the second time since members gave her an unexpectedly tepid endorsement to replace Colin Powell in January. She said she couldn't rule out American forces still being needed in Iraq a decade from now.
The senators warned that the Bush administration must play it straight with the public or risk losing public support for the war. Several said they were hearing complaints at home.
Letter from father
George Voinovich, R-Ohio, read Rice portions of a letter he received from a father who lost a son in Iraq.
"In the spirit of helping you gauge public opinion, it's important to tell you that we do not consider the American mission in Iraq noble at all," the father wrote. "We hope that members of Congress begin to more seriously question this tragic mistake and call an end to continued financial support for a misguided effort that does not speak well for America in the world."
It is time to "really level with the American people," Voinovich told Rice. "There's a lot of confusion out in the country today and we need to repeat over and over again why we're there, what we're trying to accomplish. "
By State Department design, Rice testified before the committee just days after Iraq apparently approved its first constitution since a U.S.-led coalition ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. Her appearance also coincided with the start of Saddam's trial in Baghdad for a massacre of 150 of his fellow Iraqis.
"Our country is sick at heart at the spin and false expectations," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., told Rice. "They want the truth and they deserve it."
Boxer read quotations from administration figures about Iraq, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's February 2003 prediction that the war could "last six days, six weeks, I doubt six months," to make the point that the war has not gone as the administration predicted.
Not disputed
Sen. Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., told Rice that her response to questions about U.S. troop withdrawal left open the possibility that U.S. forces could be in Iraq five or even 10 years down the road. Rice did not dispute that.
"I don't know how to speculate about what will happen 10 years from now, but I do believe that we are moving on a course on which Iraqi security forces are rather rapidly able to take care of their own security concerns," Rice responded.
Rice said Iraq's police and army forces are becoming better able to handle the country's security without U.S. help, and repeated President Bush's warning that setting a timetable for withdrawal plays into terrorists' hands.
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