Rice 'to testify' in spy case
The top US diplomat could be subpoenaed in the spying case
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Saturday, 03, Nov 2007 08:36
United States secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and other senior White House officials can be asked to testify in a sensitive case, according to a court ruling.
Federal court judge T S Ellis, who is hearing a case about the alleged transfer of classified US defence information to Israel, said Ms Rice and national security adviser Stephen Hadley could be asked to give evidence in court.
The case involves two former members of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an influential lobbying group that represents the Jewish state's interests on Capitol Hill.
Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, who used to work at AIPAC, have been accused of transferring sensitive US defence information between April 1999 and August 2004 during their time at the lobbying group.
They claim that the activity did not involve espionage and was part of routine diplomatic practice.
"The defendants claim that testimony from these current and former officials will tend to show that the overt acts reflect nothing more than the well-established official Washington practice of engaging in 'back-channel' communication," according to court documents.
The two men are also accused of passing on information about terrorist activities in central Asia as well as American policy towards countries in the region to US and foreign nations through the group.
Ms Rice, Mr Hadley and 13 other establishment officials may be asked to appear in court to testify about the case which is expected to be heard in January.