Oprah Talks to Condoleezza Rice

Oprah: During these times, all eyes are on you. Is that a comfortable position?

Condoleezza: It's fine, but it's not one of the things I like most about the job. On the days when I think I'm going to be in the newspaper, I dread reading it.

Oprah: Do you believe this government is going to capture Osama bin Laden?

Condoleezza: We'll get him eventually, but it may take a while.

Oprah: Do you know something we don't know?

Condoleezza: No—well, probably. Osama has gotten very proficient at hiding. It's interesting that he chooses to hide while his people are being taken apart. But we're never going to give up. He'll never be safe from the United States.

Oprah: Do you worry about the terrorist cells within the United States retaliating if we capture him?

Condoleezza: We worry about terrorist cells anyway. The real goal is to make sure that Afghanistan can't be a place terrorists can operate from again. But we have learned that this organization has penetrated into lots of different countries, including the United States. The broad intelligence net that so many countries are participating in is aimed at cutting out these cells one by one—and that's going to take a long time. The good news is, we've got the entire world focused on it.

Oprah: Should Americans be concerned about bioterrorism?

Condoleezza: There are a number of threats to the United States—and bioterrorism is one of them. But the American people should not be overly concerned about bioterrorism because there are certainly ways to deal with most of the agents. The law enforcement and intelligence operation that is working on the problem is very aggressive. I can't promise anybody that there will never be an incident, but I don't think there has ever been this much attention on trying to prevent one.

Oprah: As we've received FBI warnings, many have been feeling that at any moment the other shoe could drop. Do you feel that way?

Condoleezza: No, but I can't promise that something won't happen.

Oprah: Do you tell the American people every time you root out another terrorist cell?

Condoleezza: No.

Oprah: So y'all are rootin', and we don't even know it!

Condoleezza: Yes. We tell you when people are arrested, but you may not know why, because we don't want to tip off other members of the cell.