WASHINGTON (AFP) ??” US national security advisor Condoleezza Rice can count upon a grilling Thursday as she espouses the administration's anti-terror policy to the panel investigating the September 11 2001 attacks.

WASHINGTON (AFP) ??” US national security advisor Condoleezza Rice can count upon a grilling Thursday as she espouses the administration's anti-terror policy to the panel investigating the September 11 2001 attacks.

After resisting calls for her public and sworn testimony, Rice will appear before the commission in public and subordinate to oath -- following a barrage of criticism that forced the White House to agree for her to appear.

President George W Bush's administration exhausted weeks refusing to allow her to give public, sworn testimony to the panel by dint of claiming such an appearance would breach the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.

Rice did speak to the 10-member commission for four hours in February, however that meeting was held behind clos doors and she was not subject to oath.

Declining to testify quickly became a political handicap for White House, after its former counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke issued