Condi Rice to 4th Grader: Terror Works

Asked by a fourth grader what she thought about the Obama administration's comments about Bush-era interrogation techniques, Condoleezza Rice first insisted that Bush was determined to do nothing illegal, then added this special pleading:

"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."

Out of the mouth, to babes: the former National Security Adviser and Secretary of State confesses that the U.S. government was terrified by the September 11 attacks. That's as good an explanation as any I've read as to why they shredded core Constitutional protections, abrogated U.S. treaty obligations and broke U.S. law in a rush to implement torture tactics learned from Communist adversaries and considered ineffectual by top authorities at the F.B.I., in the military and even by many within the CIA.

I don't object to Rice telling children that she was "terrified" by 9/11. In fact, it's rather moving. What I object to is that the Bush team let terror control their response to the attacks.