US not completely safe - Rice

2006-09-10 16:56

Washington - The United States is safer now than it was before the September 11 attacks, but must not relent in fighting terrorism in Iraq and elsewhere, secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday.

"I think it's clear that we are safe - safer - but not really yet safe," Rice said.

"We've done a lot. In terms of homeland, we're more secure. Our ports are more secure. Our airports are more secure.

"We have a much stronger intelligence sharing operation," said Rice, who was President George W Bush's national security adviser when al-Qaeda masterminded the attacks of 9/11 2001.

Rice defended the invasion of Iraq and the ouster of President Saddam Hussein despite persistent questions about any evidence of a link to the attacks.

She said "Iraq is going through very difficult times" but said the US must help create an environment there that does not allow extremism to flourish.

CIA report

"It's hard to imagine that different kind of environment with Saddam Hussein in power and Iraq at the centre of a nexus between terrorism and conflict," Rice said on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the attacks.

A senate report released on Friday disclosed for the first time that a CIA assessment in October 2005 said Saddam's government "did not have a relationship, harbour or turn a blind eye toward" al-Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or his associates.

Rice said on Sunday she did not remember seeing that particular report.

She maintained "there were ties between Iraq and al-Qaeda.

"Are we learning more now that we have access to people like Saddam Hussein's intelligence services? Of course we're going to learn more."

- AP