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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 2001)
National crisis and confusion “Today, our nation saw evil. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.” — President George W. Bush A third hijacked jetliner crashed into the Pentagon late Tuesday morning. Part of the building was closed tem porarily, but the military nerve center remained operational. New Yorkers flee debris and choking clouds of dust and soot as the World Trade Center Towers collapse after being hit by two hijacked jetliners. Southern Manhattan was shut down Tues&jdents gat of the city was bombarded by dust and s' those afft from the World Trade Center buildings ishmgton. T T r T i X Ij <1 ft Bush vows punishmen\ terrorist threats, actioi WASHINGTON grim-faced Prcsiocr Bush asked the natio fort in the Bible as h deaths of thou in Tuesday’s a to avenge theii “Today, oi Bush said. In his firs Office addre; United States ' ish “those beh Bui d it Bus Bark; and any country that harbors the Bush spoke from the O Office just hours after bounci between Florida and air bases Louisiana and Nebraska for se< rity reasons. Fighter jets a decoy helicopters accompam his evening flight to Washing!! DC., and the While Hou where his Marine One helicop briefly stood vigil on the Soi Lawn in the event of anotl evacuation, t he helicopter took off about 10 p.m. EDT. With smoke still pouring out of rubble in Washington and New York. Bush declared, “These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” He spoke for less than five minutes from the desk that Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy used before him. Beside the door, a TelePrompTer operator fed Bush the words that he and his speech writers hastened to pen just an hour earlier. He stumbled a couple of times even as he strove to maintain a commanding air. Aides pushed an American flag and one with the presidential seal behind him for the somber occasion. immediately afterward. Bush joined a late-night meeting of his National Security Council and planned to remain overnight at the White House. Bush said the government offices deserted after the bomb ings Tuesday would open on Wednesday. He asked the nation to pray for the families of the victims and quoted the Book of Psalms, “And 1 pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us spo ken through the ages in Psalm 23. ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 1 fear no evil for you are with me.’ ’’ The United States received no warning of the attacks on the Pentagon and New York’s World Trade Center Towers, said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer. U.S. officials privately said they suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, protected by Afghan gov ernment, was behind the tragedies. The Afghan government has reject ed the accusations. “We will make no distinction between the terrorists who com mitted these acts and those who harbor them,” Bush said. “Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom, came under attack in a series of deliber ate and deadly terrorist acts. “Thousands of lives were sud denly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror,” Bush said. 1 ' ’ Neb horn Con natic thre< Con eu across aged Hum arded Air . EDT for; hat turned i’s Offuti tf o the U imand. which ni s nuclear w e years ago. i imand also ho called doomsday plo been specially cquip|l as a flying White event of nuclear var. Before his return i House at dusk. Bush a sensitive to any appetf was not at the helm. Fleischer said Buil be m Washington, "h led the crisis operand the White House, but stands that at a tiitf* caution must be taket location. At the first reports New York's World Tt| Bush told his Sarasota- school audience that! idling back to Wash unidentifi that immediately chi' he was diverted to P when a plane slanW Pentagon, and Wash 1 .i uiKlei attack. On Capitol Hill, fif WASHD Bush, who was to ha'-ulbrit seen debut testifying befotf-aden had on education, tried tos anaticism i rified nation. he World I “Parents need to P, •' ■And hide children everywhere in idministrati that they're safe,” she "Jaeda orgai faced, as she and Sf;' -.He is wi. Kennedy, D-Mass., |erous man their hearing was postf;win bombii Mrs. Bush and a 199S that cli aides were whisked b; 12 America] to a secret location aw- -'Those m White House, which; 0 n from evacuated but for the American e of foreign policy Sen. On staffed the basemenl| n the Sen2 Room. ntelligence Fleischer said •‘well-plain Bus! at Yale 3y real pros girls, Barbara ami Jenna at the Ui>j nilia ff |U fexas-Austin. also we^j |tu|e .. secure locations. 9:18 a.m. ET FAA shuts down NYC airports, all NYC bridges and tunnels close soon after Second plane crashes into South World Trade Center building 9:45 a.m. ET Aircraft crashes into Pentagon 9:20 a.m. ET Bush denounces "apparent terrorist attack" 10:05 a.m. ET 10 a.m. ET South tower of World Trade Center collapses White House evacuated 10:10 a.m. ET Portion of the Pentagon collapses All U.| interna® diverted' Secont Trade ower ci