Former Bush Press Secretary Releases Behind-the-Scenes Notes From 9/11
September 11th is obviously Sunday. 15-year anniversary. It’s a shitty reminder every year of what occurred, but no one can deny the natural fascination with that day’s events and how they unfolded. Seeing how the most powerful person on the planet reacted under the worst, most devastating of circumstances — and with the entire planet watching — is deeply compelling. At least for me, that’s why I’m the newsyish guy.
Bush famously learned of the attacks while listening to school children read in Florida. The journey from there, to Air Force One, and eventually back to the White House where he addressed the nation, as told from the notes of former press secretary Ari Fleischer, is incredibly interesting. A compelling read if you’ve got a few minutes. The New York Post did a great job of chronicling Fleischer’s notes into a followable narrative. Fascinating stuff.
The chronology starts when top political adviser Karl Rove tells the president about the first crash. The entry is labeled 8:45 a.m., a minute before the actual time of the first attack, and then skips to 9:45 a.m., with Bush aboard Air Force One.
“Sounds like we have a minor war going on here. I heard about the Pentagon,” Bush tells Vice President Dick Cheney.
“We’re at war,” Bush tells congressional leaders by phone a few moments later.
At 10:20 a.m., an entry notes that Bush “authorized shoot down if reason” — a reference to the president deciding that, if a hijacked plane was perilously on course to a potential target, fighter jets could open fire.
The false threat to Air Force One — “Angel is next” — then comes in from the White House at 10:32 a.m.
The 10:37 a.m. entry is also when Bush asks Card about Barney.
“He’s nipping at the heels of Osama bin Laden right now,” Card replies.
Five minutes later, the hair-removal commercial appears and Fleischer writes that Bush’s daughters are safe: “girls removed 2 safe house.”
Officials then receive word that a plane “has crashed in the vicinity of Camp David, but Rove quickly corrects that to “50 [miles] outside of Pittsburgh.”
At 10:41 a.m., Bush is told his daughters were moved to a more secure location.
“How did they take it?” he asks. “They wanted 2 stay in their apartments,” an aide responds.
Bush told Vice President Dick Cheney, “Sounds like we have a minor war going on here.”
At 10:55 a.m., Rove says that reports of a car bomb at the State Department were wrong.
At 11 a.m., Bush makes the decision to take US forces to the increased DEFCON 3 state of readiness.
At 12:25 p.m., speaking to Cheney from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, Bush says: “I think it’s important 4 ppl 2 see the gov is functioning because TV shows our nation has been blasted and bombed. Gov is not chaotic. It’s functioning smoothly. We’re going 2 get the bastards.” And, later, the president declares, “It’s the new war. It’s the faceless coward that [attacks].”
At 12:40 p.m. the president says, “I can’t wait to find out who did it. It’s going to take a while + we’re not going 2 have a little slap on the wrist crap.”
Bush talks with Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer at 12:55 p.m. “We’ll come together. God Bless.”
He then speaks with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it will soon be up to the Pentagon “to respond.”
Another inaccurate report comes in at 1:05 p.m. — “high-speed object heading 4 POTUS ranch” in Crawford, Texas.
“I want 2 go back home ASAP,” Bush says at 1:25 p.m. “I don’t want whoever this is holding me outside of Washington.”
At 1:35 p.m., he says “this administration will spend whatever is necessary 2 find, hunt down, and destroy whoever did this.”
Bush speaks to Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki by phone at 2:25 p.m., promising to do “anything we can do to help you.” He also warns about the “some possibility of a second wave” of attacks.
At 2:58 p.m., he tells an aide “we need 2 get back to Wash. We don’t need some tinhorn terrorist to scare us off. The Am ppl want 2 know where their dang P is.”
At 4:26 p.m., Bush tells his personal military aide that he’s going back to Washington.
At 4:39 p.m., after a stop at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Bush speaks to first lady Laura Bush: “I’m coming home. See you at the White House. Love you … go on home.”
And, he adds, “If I’m in the WH and there’s a plane coming my way, all I can say is I hope I read my bible that day.”
Photos from Reuters and the George W. Bush Presidential Library