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.
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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