Moment of truth for Condoleezza Rice

Americans saw the first moment of truth for a member of the Bush war cabinet at a recent hearing of the House Foreign Relations Committee. As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prepared to testify about Middle East foreign policy issues, a war protester, hands stained with red dye, approached Rice, held her open hands close to Rice's head, and simply said: "War criminal, war criminal."

Rice froze, saying nothing and displaying no emotion, as the protester, who neither touched nor verbally threatened Rice, was hustled away.

What was Rice thinking? Did she freeze because she realized that the power of her office can no longer shield her from the inevitable and harsh judgment of history that she sold her soul to conspire with the Bush war party to make up, sell, launch and continue endlessly their immoral and criminal enterprise in Iraq? Maybe she stood stone-faced because she is already haunted by the million or more dead and wounded Iraqis, and the millions more who have fled the carnage she helped orchestrate which ruined their lives.

Walt Zlotow

Glen Ellyn