SURPRISE! Susan Rice Refuses to Testify Before House Intel Committee

By streiff | 8:26 PM on July 17, 2017

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National Security Adviser Susan Rice arrives to speak at the Brookings Institution to outline President Barack Obamas foreign policy priorities, Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, in Washington. President Barack Obama says the US must resist the urge to "overreach" abroad, as he outlined a new national security strategy Friday that is meant to serve as a blueprint for his final two years in office. The 29-page document hews closely to Obama's long-held views of America's role in the world and forecasts no major shifts in the military campaign against Islamic State militants or in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Beyond those immediate concerns, he also calls for an increased focus on boosting cybersecurity, combating climate change and promoting gay rights around the world. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Back in late June, Susan Rice was all “Sure I want to help the Committee out.”

The House intelligence committee plans to interview Susan Rice next month as part of its investigation into Russia meddling in the US election last year, a high-profile target for Republicans who accuse President Barack Obama’s former national security adviser of improperly handling classified intelligence reports, according to sources familiar with the private talks.

…

“Ambassador Rice is cooperating with bipartisan Russia investigations conducted by the Intelligence Committees as she said she would,” said Erin Pelton, a spokesperson for Rice, who served as national security adviser and the US ambassador to the United Nations under Obama.

But not now.

Susan Rice is no longer expected to visit Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a meeting with the House committee probing allegations she “unmasked” President Trump associates in Russian meddling probes.

Rice had been expected to face tough questions on her role in the matter while serving as then-President Barack Obama’s national security adviser. Trump alleges Rice may have committed a crime by asking government analysts to disclose the names of his associates documented in intelligence reports.

…

Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan last week told Fox News that he wants Rice to answer the basic question: “Did you unmask the names and if so why?

(Answer for Rep. Jordan, she unmasked Trump staffers for the same reason a dog licks its crotch — because it can.)

This is not unexpected. She’s recently been hinting that racism and sexism are the reasons, not the fact that she was National Security Adviser (btw, anyone who has qualms about Jared and Ivanka advising the president should ask themselves if they were scared witless by the thought of Susan Rice running the nation’s national security apparatus. If the answer is “no” then you have no reason to complain about any staffing decision by anyone) and there was an audit trail of her requesting identities to be unmasked. I suspect that the Obama loyalists who remain on the NSC, as they are career federal employees, have probably kept her and her minion, Ben Rhodes, up to date on the unmasking inquiry taking place inside the executive branch and she knows her interests will not be served by testifying.

In related news, Samantha Power has agreed to testify before the same committee. It would be interesting to hear her explanation of why the UN Ambassador had the need to unmask identities in intelligence communications intercepts.