RICE

WASHINGTON (Reuters):

United States Democratic lawmakers voted on Wednesday to subpoena Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify about administration justifications for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

On a party-line vote of 21-10, the House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee directed Rice to appear before the panel next month.

Republicans accused Democrats of a "fishing expedition." But Democrats said they want Rice to explain what she knew about administration's warnings, later proven false, that Iraq had soughturanium from Niger for nuclear arms.

"There was one person in the White House who had primary responsibility to get the intelligence about Iraq right - and that was Secretary Rice who was then President George W. Bush's national security adviser," said committee Chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat.

"The American public was misled about the threat posed by Iraq, and this committee is going to do its part to find out why," Waxman said.

Miss Rice yesterday all but said she will not testify to Congress about a discredited justification for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, but agreed to answer questions in writing.

Rice said she had answered questions about the matter in three letters over the last month and cited a legal doctrine that can shield a president and his aides from having to answer questions from Congress.