 |
  |
|
| President
Bush's Reaction and Speeches After the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington. Click on the thumbnail image for a larger image. |
|
Images of President George W. Bush Following the September 11, 2001
Terrorist Attacks. All photos, pictures, and images below are © AP or Reuters. |
 On the morning of Sept. 11, while at a school in Sarasota Florida, President George W. Bush is told of the 2nd attack on New York City. |
 President Bush tells students and the nation of "an apparent attack." |
 President Bush asks for a moment of silence for victims. |
 President Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana after speech (text below). |
| Word
of the tragedy first came to President Bush in the hallway of a school
in Sarasota, Fla., moments after the first plane hit New York's World Trade Center. He went to a private room, where he spoke by phone with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice; it appeared then that the matter could be just a terrible accident. Then, at 9:04 a.m., while Bush met with second-graders, staff chief Andrew H. Card Jr. whispered in his ear that a second plane had struck. Bush's sunny countenance went grim. After Card's whisper, Bush looked distracted and somber but continued to listen to the second-graders read and soon was smiling again. He joked that they read so well, they must be sixth-graders. After huddling with advisers, Bush entered the school's media center for what was to have been an education speech. He looked stunned, but by the time he reached the podium, he was composed and at 9:30 a.m. delivered the chilling news of "an apparent terrorist attack on our country." |
|||
| Complete
Timeline of President George W. Bush on September 11, 2001. White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer provided the following details of President Bush's day on Tuesday, Sept. 11. All times are EDT. |
|||
 A soldier in front of Air Force One at Barksdale AFB on the morning of September 11, 2001. |
|||
| 9
a.m. – Bush arrives at Sarasota, Fla., school for speech. White House
chief of staff Andrew Card tells him a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. |
|||
| 9:05
a.m. – Bush is visiting a second-grade class when Card whispers to him
that a second plane has struck the towers. President delays plans to address the tragedy, deciding to get more information first. |
|||
| 9:30
a.m. – Bush meets privately with National Security Adviser Condoleezza
Rice, who briefs him. He delivers first remarks on the tragedy. |
|||
| 10
a.m. – Aboard Air Force One en route to Louisiana, Bush calls Vice
President Dick Cheney and puts America's military on a high alert status. Sifts through reports from staff, including erroneous report that a car bomb had struck the State Department. Gets news that plane has crashed near Pittsburgh. |
|||
| 11:40
a.m. – Bush arrives at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., where he makes
series of telephone calls from a general's conference room. Tells Cheney in telephone call, "It's the faceless coward that attacks." He also talks to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and New York Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. |
|||
| 1:15
p.m. – Bush departs conference room for Air Force One in a camouflaged
Humvee. Talks to Cheney again en route to Nebraska air force base and schedules a 4 p.m. meeting of his national security staff. Also talks to New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki. "I know your heart is broken and your city is strained and anything we can do, let me know," Bush says. |
|||
| 3:07 p.m. – Bush arrives at U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. | |||
| 4:36
p.m. – Bush departs for Washington. En route, he calls first lady
Laura Bush and says, "I'm coming home, see you at the White House." Works with aides on his prime-time speech. |
|||
| 7 p.m. – Bush arrives at White House to prepare for address. | |||
| 8:30 p.m. – Bush speaks to nation (text below). | |||
| 8:35 p.m. – Bush attends national security meeting. | |||
| 10:21
p.m. – Meeting has ended. Secret Service radio squawks with news that
Bush has gone home to bed: "Trailblazer. Second floor of the residence." |
|||
| In
President George W. Bush's Own Words. The Speech Made by President Bush Within a Few Hours Following the September 11 Attacks. Speech made from the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. |
|||
| I
want to reassure the American people that the full resources of the
federal government are working to assist local authorities to save lives and to help the victims of these attacks. Make no mistake: The United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts. I've been in regular contact with the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, the national security team and my Cabinet. We have taken all appropriate security precautions to protect the American people. Our military at home and around the world is on high alert status, and we have taken the necessary security precautions to continue the functions of your government. We have been in touch with the leaders of Congress and with world leaders to assure them that we will do whatever is necessary to protect America and Americans. I ask the American people to join me in saying a thanks for all the folks who have been fighting hard to rescue our fellow citizens and to join me in saying a prayer for the victims and their families. The resolve of our great nation is being tested. But make no mistake: We will show the world that we will pass this test. God bless. |
|||
 |
|
| President Bush
addresses the nation on the evening of September 11, 2001 from the Oval Office in the White House (text below). |
|
|
| In
President George W. Bush's Own Words. The Speech Made by President Bush On the Evening of September 11, 2001. Speech made from the Oval Office. |
| Good
evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom
came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America, with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could. Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C., to help with local rescue efforts. Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks. The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business as well. The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance. America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me." This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. Thank you. Good night and God bless America. |
 September 11, 2001 Bush glances at TV at Sarasota, Fla. school after he was told of the attacks. |
 September 11, 2001 Secretary of State Colin Powell leaves hotel in Lima, Peru for Washington after he was told of attacks. |
 September 11, 2001 Bush speaks with VP Dick Cheney from Air Force One. |
 September 11, 2001 Cheney speaks to Bush from the Emergency Operations Center at the White House. |
 September 11, 2001 Bush and Cheney meet later in the day at the White House Emergency Operations Center. |
 September 12, 2001 President Bush meets with the National Security Council in the White House Cabinet Room. |
 September 12, 2001 President Bush, Colin Powell, and the National Security Team at a Sept. 12 emergency meeting in Washington. |
 September 12, 2001 Congressional Leaders hold a news conference in Washington, and then sing "God Bless America." |
 September 12, 2001 President Bush tours the Pentagon with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. |
 September 12, 2001 Soldiers greet President Bush as he tours the Pentagon with Donald Rumsfeld. |
 September 14, 2001 President Bush hugs and consoles survivors during a visit to New York City. |
 September 14, 2001 President Bush waves a flag in New York when visiting the World Trade Center's Ground Zero site. |
 September 14, 2001 The Bush Family, and the Clinton family at a church service in Washington's National Cathedral on the 14th. |
 September 14, 2001 President Bush speaks to guests at a National Cathedral Prayer Service for Sept. 11th victims. |
 September 14, 2001 President George W. Bush and his father clasp hands after Bush gives emotional speech. |
| The
Joint Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force Against Terrorists, passed by the Senate and House of Representatives on Sept. 14, 2001. |
| To
authorize the use of United States armed forces against those
responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States. Whereas, on Sept. 11, 2001, acts of despicable violence were committed against the United States and its citizens; and Whereas, such acts render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad, and Whereas, in light of the threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by these grave acts of violence, and Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, Whereas the president has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States. Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Section 1. Short Title This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for Use of Military Force" Section 2. Authorization for Use of United States Armed Forces (a) That the president is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons. (b) War Powers Resolution Requirements (1) Specific Statutory Authorization -- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution. (2) Applicability of Other Requirements -- Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution. |
| Live
September 11 News President George W. Bush News The Latest President Bush Headlines. Live News. Updated Every 15 Minutes. Click on the news headlines for the complete news story. Opens a new window. |
||
 US President Bush |
|
|
 Bush and Powell |
||
| Read
More September Attack Speeches By U.S. President George W. Bush Speech to Congress on September 20, 2001  U.S. Airstrikes TV Address to America on October 7, 2001 Speech at Pentagon Memorial Service on October 11, 2001 Speech to Firemen & Police in Atlanta on November 8, 2001 Speech to the United Nations on November 10, 2001 |
September 13, 2001 President Bush Speaks to Mayor Giuliani |
