The Senate report also " suggests Miss Rice played a more significant role than she acknowledged in written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee submitted in the autumn . " At that time , she had acknowledged attending meetings to discuss the CIA interrogations , but she claimed that she could not recall the details , and she " omitted her direct role in approving the programme in her written statement to the committee . " In a conversation with a student at Stanford University in April 2009 , Rice stated that she did not authorize the CIA to use the '' enhanced interrogation techniques '' . Rice said , " I did n't authorize anything . I conveyed the authorization of the administration to the agency that they had policy authorization , subject to the Justice Department 's clearance . That 's what I did . " She added , " We were told , nothing that violates our obligations under the Convention Against Torture . And so , by definition , if it was authorized by the president , it did not violate our obligations under the Conventions Against Torture . " In 2015 , citing her role in authorizing the use of so-called " enhanced interrogation techniques " , Human Rights Watch called for the investigation of Rice " for conspiracy to torture as well as other crimes . " On November 16 , 2004 , Bush nominated Rice to be Secretary of State . On January 26 , 2005 , the Senate confirmed her nomination by a vote of 85 – 13 . The negative votes , the most cast against any nomination for Secretary of State since 1825 , came from Senators who , according to Senator Barbara Boxer , wanted " to hold Dr. Rice and the Bush administration accountable for their failures in Iraq and in the war on terrorism . " Their reasoning was that Rice had acted irresponsibly in equating Saddam 's regime with Islamist terrorism and some could not accept her previous record . Senator Robert Byrd voted against Rice 's appointment , indicating that she " has asserted that the President holds far more of the war power than the Constitution grants him . " As Secretary of State , Rice championed the expansion of democratic governments and other American values : " American values are universal . " " An international order that reflects our values is the best guarantee of our enduring national interest ... " Rice stated that the September 11 attacks in 2001 were rooted in " oppression and despair " and so , the US must advance democratic reform and support basic rights throughout the greater Middle East . Rice also reformed and restructured the department , as well as US diplomacy as a whole . " Transformational Diplomacy " is the goal that Rice describes as " work ing with our many partners around the world ... and build ing and sustain ing democratic , well-governed states that will respond to the needs of their people and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system . " As Secretary of State , Rice traveled heavily and initiated many diplomatic efforts on behalf of the Bush administration ; she holds the record for most miles logged in the position . Her diplomacy relied on strong presidential support and is considered to be the continuation of style defined by former Republican secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and James Baker
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Condoleezza Rice