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I realize that this has all been covered before, but I think this info should be presented fully to the public on a daily basis. It demonstrates clearly that Bush is exactly what most of us have suspected he is: incurious and disinterested.
First: "I was not on point, but I knew {bin Laden} was a menace, and I knew he was a problem... But I didn't feel that sense of urgency, and my blood was not nearly as boiling." - George W. Bush's own words regarding the threat of Al Queda, from a WaPo interview with Bob Woodward, who can hardly be described as anti-Bush (emphasis mine).
Also bear in mind that Bush was being briefed daily by George Tenet regarding Al Queda, and had apparently seen memos warning of terrorist attacks on US soil.
With that in mind, on to 9/11 itself.
Some fourteen minutes after the first WTC attack, approximately eight to five minutes prior to the second WTC attack, and a good hour before the Pentagon attack, Bush claims he was informed of the first WTC attack. His response, after months of briefings by Tenet, after warnings by Clarke, and after the memos - in his own words:
"... I used to fly myself, and I said, 'There's one terrible pilot.' And I said, 'It must have been a horrible accident.' But I was whisked off there - I didn't have much time to think about it."
So Bush - despite his access to intelligence regarding a possible terrorist attack using planes, despite the knowledge that the WTC was a ripe target for terrorists - still thinks it's an accident. In fact, he claims he was forced (by aides?) to stop thinking about it. After all, he had a goat story to read. More from the President:
"I was concentrating on the program at this point, thinking about what I was going to say. Obviously, I felt it was an accident. I was concerned about it, but there were no alarm bells."
So here we have a President who can't put two and two together. For the sake of comparison, let's look at George Tenet's reaction, minutes after the first attack:
"You know, this has bin Laden's fingerprints all over it."
How can Tenet and Bush, with access to the same information, come to such wildly different conclusions?
Minutes later, the second WTC tower is struck. Bush, now in the classroom, is informed of this new development by Andrew Card. Again, the President's words, quoting Card:
"'A second plane has hit the World Trade Center - America is under attack.'"
Remember, this is a good thirty-two minutes prior to the Pentagon attack, a time when prompt action could have prevented further loss of life. But Bush remains at the school for at least the next twenty-eight minutes; his motorcade doesn't leave the school until four minutes before the third plane barrels into the Pentagon.
What is Bush's excuse at this point? He has now been told, point blank, according to his own words, that "America is under attack." Did he not "feel that sense of urgency"? Did he still feel it was "A terrible accident"? Were there "no alarm bells"? Some have claimed that he didn't want to "scare the children."
Which is more important to this President, saving hundreds or thousands of lives... or not scaring children?
I could go on, but I'm getting extremely agitated just typing this.
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