Topic: 9/11 Remembered
9/11: Bush's Greatest Failure There have been many, many failures by the Bush Administration, but nothing will ever rival his colossal failure of leadership leading up to and including the events of 9/11.by Walt Thiessen
(Libertarian)
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Six years to the day after those horrible events occurred, the images still remain with us. They will almost certainly remain with us for generations to come.
What is less obvious, because it is never discussed in polite company, is how badly President George W. Bush let his country down on 9/11/2001, completely failing in his #1 primary responsibility as commander-in-chief to defend our country against attack.
George Tenet, former CIA Director, who reported to the president regularly, had been pounding on administration doors during the first eight months of Bush's administration, trying to get someone to listen about his concerns that the U.S. was under imminent threat of terrorist attack. The infamous Presidential Daily Briefing of August 6, 2001 reads, in part:
"Nevertheless, FBI information...indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York."
Bush denied any advance knowledge of the attacks on 9/11 and later tried to blame Tenet for his own failure in this regard.
When Bush was informed of the initial attacks, he was reading a book to schoolchildren in a classroom. Instead of jumping right up, apologizing quickly, and leaving the room to deal with the immediate threat, he kept reading. His reason? He wanted to demonstrate and project calmness. No reason has ever been given why the Secret Service didn't immediately hustle him out of the room anyway for his own protection, regardless of Bush's desire for "calmness." After all, if the country was under attack, why would the Secret Service want the president to remain in an insecure location???
After the Secret Service finally woke up and hustled the president onto Air Force One much later, all communication from the airplane failed. Thus, America was left effectively decapitated in the middle of the terrorist attack. To the best of my knowledge, no one from the Bush administration has even addressed this failure publicly.
It never occurred to the FAA, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, that they needed to alert other aircraft in the air that they too might be at risk. The FAA, last I checked, reports to the President.
When fighters were finally ordered airborne from Langley AFB by Vice-President Cheney, who claimed to be acting on the President's orders from a sealed bunker after the Secret Service successfully hustled him there, the fighters flew out to sea (following standing orders) because no one bothered to tell them that they were looking for commercial airliners and not incoming Russian missles and planes. Again, this is all documented in the 9/11 Commission Report. It was a gigantic failure of command, a command structure which reports directly to the President.
Nobody was on alert on 9/11. President Bush knew that attacks were imminent. Another gigantic failure.
These are only a few of the highlights of Bush's failures on and leading up to 9/11. Looking back on the whole, terrible affair, there really isn't anything that President Bush did right on 9/11 while the attack was underway. Nor was there anything he did right to stem the attacks leading up to 9/11. It is crystal clear that Bush completely defaulted on his responsibility to defend this country.
Bush has never apologized to the nearly 3,000 families of the victims of 9/11 for his abject failure to even attempt to defend their lives against the terrorist attackers. He should apologize, not just to them, but to all Americans. Yet no one in the major media (with the exceptions of Keith Olberman of MSNBC and Bill O'Reilly of Fox) or in the halls of Congress seem to have thought of this up until now, even though such an apology is long overdue.
Let history write permanently into its record that Bush was a terrible president who demonstrated complete incompetence in planning and preparation leading up to the most horrific attack on America in recorded history. He should leave office hanging his head in shame and humiliation for his complete and total failure as commander-in-chief.
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2007 Walt Thiessen, all rights reserved.
Published: Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Last modified: Tuesday, September 11, 2007
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Posted By: C. Al Currier
Date: 2007-09-12 08:44:45
Thank you, good article.
Bush in a classroom reading on 9-11?
Bush campaigned for president with some unusual promises. 3rd on his priority list was to put 'Education' first. On 9-11, he fullfilled that campaign promise with 3rd being first.
To understand what happened on 9/1is to understand the relationship between George H.W. Bush and Osama bin Laden. This understanding will provide insight into how known terrorists flew into Florida, took flying lessons, boarded commercial aircraft and leveled the WTC without once being challenged. George W. Bush left no doubt that the Bush family's objectives had nothing to do with bringing bin Laden to justice when he said, "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." Bush has spent the lives of thousands of young Americans and billions of dollars to hang bin Laden's life long enemy, Saddam Hussein. The Bush family makes Adam Y. Gadahn, indicted for treason in 2006, look like a saint. The man most responsible for 9/11 is in Texas, not Afghanist
Ooops! I thought by clicking on the thumb icon, a pop-up would appear and I could choose a thumb's up or thumb's down. Please remove my mistaken thumb's up. If 9/11 is all the fault of George Bush, then JFK is still alive in a secret place. Perhaps he's hanging with Elvis.
Posted By: Walt Thiessen
Date: 2007-10-14 10:26:57
Carol -- did you even bother to read the article? If you'll put your glass of red Koolaid down for a moment and go back to actually read the article, you'll notice that not once did I accuse Bush of being behind 9/11. What I accused him of was falling down on the job on 9/11. There's a huge difference between the two. Let me suggest a new concept for you to consider: reading comprehension.
I do have to say, however, that your response shows once again how wide the disconnect is between reality and Bush supporters.
By the way, when you're done re-reading the article, you might also re-read the instructions at the "thumb" icon, which say, "Did you like this article? If you did, thumb it!" They do not say to click here if you don't like the article. What's wrong...can't you follow directions?
I guess we can take it that you're a prime example of what Bush's "no child left behind" policy will produce.
"Nor was there anything he did right to stem the attacks leading up to 9/11. It is crystal clear that Bush completely defaulted on his responsibility to defend this country."
Nothing wrong with my reading comprehension, except for the thumbs portion. There must be something wrong with my monitor because there are no instructions at the thmb icon. Nor did I say I supported Bush. I guess you're just as much of a prime example No Child Left Behind as I am. In case you don't (or won't) recognize the above quote, it was taken from the article I read. Or maybe you didn't write it: if you're going to cut and paste, maybe you need to read it before doing so. You may also notice I disagreed with the notion of 9/11 being Bush's fault and did not attack your vision, drinking, or education. I was referred to in the reply 10 times.
Posted By: Walt Thiessen
Date: 2007-10-14 19:03:06
"Nor was there anything he did right to stem the attacks leading up to 9/11. It is crystal clear that Bush completely defaulted on his responsibility to defend this country."
Yes, I wrote that, but I guess you're going to have to explain something to me. How does the above quote equal, "....9/11 is all the fault of George Bush..."? Answer: it doesn't.
Saying that Bush didn't defend the country the way that he should have on 9/11 isn't the same as saying that 9/11 is his fault. 9/11 is the fault of the attackers. Failing to defend America is Bush's fault. After all, he is the Commander-in-Chief, and he did take an oath to protect and defend. In fact, many would argue that his role as commander-in-chief is his most important role. So why didn't he do his job? Blaming the CIA just won't wash anymore. We know better now.
The evidence shows that he had sufficient evidence on hand before the attacks to at least make contingency plans, and yet he did nothing. He failed to do a single thing either leading up to 9/11 or on 9/11, despite having ample evidence and ample warning that something was coming.
Instead, he claimed on national TV on the evening of 9/11 that the attack was a complete surprise. It wasn't. We now know that for a fact. Translation: he lied. He had plenty of advance information. He just didn't want to admit it, because such an admission would prove clearly how badly he screwed up.
He didn't pass along any warnings to the airlines. He didn't warn the country in advance in a national TV address that an attack was imminent. And on 9/11 he didn't do anything to get our military planes in the air while the attack was underway. Instead, he read a children's book in order to "project calm." Who needs an incompetent military commander like that when the spam hits the fan? Certainly not America!
He screwed up badly, and America suffered the consequences. He failed to do his most important job as President. For that, he deserves the blame.
Posted By: Philip Kindred
Date: 2008-01-05 11:41:53
Are Mr. Thiessen and Ms. Boyd above communicating? From Ms. Boyd's initial comments, she could have been forwarding any number of views on this subject.
I have been very impressed with this site in the writers' constant defense of liberty and reason in the face of national propaganda.
Therefore, it is particuarly distressing to see these postures dropped completely on the subject of 9-11. To those who say the truth is hidden, arcane, or difficult to sort out: I don't buy it. You all routinely ferret out the correct path through government lies and disinfo on every other subject.
Mr.Thiessen, do you honestly believe America was "decapitated" because they couldn't communicate with the bumbling Bush II? Do you really think he is holding that kid's book upside down in the famous footage to project calm? Look at his face closely. Sure, he is scared . . . unsettled. Why?
How can a great site like this perpetuate fallacies greater even than the government's religious fable, in the face of the work that has been done by so many researchers and scientists of good reputation. To say Bush screwed up implies things would have happened differently had Bush taken any other actions. This is corrosive, and a continuation of THEIR game.
If you won't (or can't -- like Ron Paul) support the truth about 9-11, you should not cloud the good content elsewhere on this site. Most of us can see the obvious -- dont insult our intelligence.
This is constructive criticism, because I have been so gratified to see truths you have highlighted on other subjects.
Posted By: Kevin Mitchell
Date: 2008-01-14 15:51:50
OR DID HE SUCCEED?
Is it not obvious to most by now that Bush( or the black ops that handle him) SUCEEDED ? If the destabilization of the middle east and security of key oil sources was the objective( which most acedemics and critical thinkers agree on) then by definition the 911 attacks were successful.
Only when the crimes are exposed and justice is restored will Bush and co have failed.
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2007 Walt Thiessen, all rights reserved.