America Betrayed:
Bush, Bin Laden, & 9/11
by R. Joseph, Ph.D.
(University Press, California, $24.00, ISBN: 0971644578 --publication date: 12/25/002)
Chapter 14
"A TAIL OF TWO "HEROES"
Drunk, Drugged & Getting Out of Harm's Way.
I ran for my life because "I was trying to get out of harm's way." --George W. Bush.
At 8:45 am, Eastern Standard Time, American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 en route from Boston's Logan Airport to Los Angeles International with 92 people onboard, slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Over a thousand men and women were incinerated, crushed, or fell a thousand feet and died.
George W. Bush, the President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief, was in Florida. He was taking advantage of a photo op, a publicity stunt, at the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, and cameras were trained on his face. At 9 A.M., soon after the jet crashed into the World Trade Center, Bush received a phone call and was provided details. For a brief moment, his face tightened. Then, inexplicably, he smirked, and went on with the publicity stunt.
Dick Cheney, the Vice President, was at the White House, sitting in front of a television, watching the nightmare unfold. There were no cameras trained on his sinister, bully boy's face.
At 9:03 am, United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 enroute from Boston to Los Angeles with 65 people onboard, barreled into the south tower of the World Trade Center. Another thousand lives were instantly consumed.
The cameras are still trained on the face of George W. Bush. At 9:07 AM, he received the news of yet another plane crash. There is no sign of shock. There is no expression of surprise. Not a hint of sadness crosses his face. His face tightens, and then, there is the smirk. He looks as if he is suppressing an urge to laugh. Twenty three minutes later, at 9:30, Bush makes a statement, describing the attacks on the World Trade Center as an "apparent terrorist attack" and asks for a moment of silence.
And what does the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the United States, the "Leader of the Free World" do next?
He continues with his visit at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida.
Next on the agenda? Money--a meeting with supporters to raise campaign contributions.
And what of the Vice President? On the morning of 9/11, he is still watching TV.
Later, in a television interview, the normally dour-face of Dick Cheney, is all smiles. He is exuberant. Animated. Excited. His happy face seems incongruent with the tragedy that he is discussing. He tells us that when the second jet struck, "Immediately that triggered in my mind, the thought of terrorism." He tells us that he called President Bush (1).
What else did Cheney do the morning of 9/11, in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy? Like Bush, he did nothing. He continued watching TV.
But then, a surprise, the unexpected.
White House aids entered the room where Cheney was still enjoying the spectacle on TV. They told him that a Boeing 757, an American Airlines commercial jet had been hijacked by terrorists. They feared that it might be headed directly toward Washington, the nation's capital.
Cheney was surprised. Shocked. Frightened.
And what did Cheney do?
Did he warn White House staff they might be in danger?
No.
Did he issue orders warning congressional staff that they might be in danger?
No.
Did he issue orders warning the Pentagon?
The answer is no.
Did he warn anyone that their lives might be in danger?
No. No. And, no!
Dick Cheney thought only of himself. Dick Cheney's first thought was the he was being targeted, that he had been double crossed. Dick Cheney was scared to death. Then he ran, and he hid (1).
He was literally air borne. He ran so fast that his "feet touch the floor periodically..." as he ran "very rapidly down the hallway" (1).
Dick Cheney, the classic bully boy, turned rabbit and ran for his life. His behavior was that of the classic bully boy who is all mouth but then backs down and panics, and then runs away when faced with danger.
While three hundred brave men and women were racing up those Twin Tower stairs to save the lives of those who could not save themselves, Dick Cheney abandoned his post, and he ran for his life. While brave men and women were heroically risking their lives to save the lives of those who could not save themselves, Dick Cheney sought only to save his own skin. When told that the jet had entered the "danger zone" he made a mad dash for safety. He ran for the White House basement. And there, like a scared rabbit, he hid (1).
It was only after he reached the safety of the White House basement, that he reached for a phone.
Was he about to warn the people of the nation's capital that a hijacked plane was headed their way.
No.
Did he warn congress?
No.
Did he warn the Pentagon.
No.
Dick Cheney, as he cowered in the White House basement, was speed dialing George Bush.
"It looks like we've been targeted," he cried. "Delay your return. We don't know what's going on here, but it looks like we've been targeted" (1).
What did he mean by: "We don't know what's going on here"? Didn't they just make an announcement that terrorists had hijacked and crashed two commercial jets?
Hadn't Cheney been enjoying the spectacle all morning?
Hadn't he just been sitting there, watching TV, doing nothing?
Now, at all once, he doesn't know what's going on?
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOUBLE CROSSED.
Let us review the facts. The Bush team had been receiving detailed warnings since July that commercial jets were to be hijacked by terrorists. John Ashcroft took the warnings so seriously that he go weak kneed and refused to ever fly again on a commercial jet.
On the morning of 9/11, two jets crash into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. After the second jet strikes, Bush is told to announce that the attacks are due to terrorists.
Bush then continues with his photo op, and Cheney settles in to watch some more TV.
So far, everything has gone according to plan.
But, according to Dick Cheney, when told of a third jet, he was surprised.
He wasn't surprised or alarmed about the first jet. Ditto for the second jet.
But as to a third jet? Maybe even a fourth jet?
Wait a minute--we don't know what's going on here--nobody told us about a third jet. Nobody told us that we would be targeted, that Washington would be a target.
They've known for months about the impending attack. They received an avalanche of warnings in the days and weeks before 9/11. They just announced that the two jets which struck the Twin Towers, was the work of terrorists. But then, when told of a third jet, Cheney suddenly doesn't know what's going on?
"We don't know what's going on here, but it looks like we've been targeted."
Translation: We don't know what's going on here, but it looks like we've been double crossed.
Translation: We were told that the Twin Towers would be attacked. Nobody told us that Washington would be attacked. Cheney: "We don't know what's going on here, but it looks like we've been targeted."
Cheney: We've been double crossed! Run for your life! And what did Bush do? He ran: "I was trying to get out of harm's way," Bush said (2).
"Harm's way?" You were in Florida, you chuckle head.
In New York, firemen and police didn't lose their nerve. Rudolf Giuilliani, the mayor of New York didn't lose his nerve. Rudolf Giuilliani immediately sped off for ground zero.
At the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld didn't lose his nerve. As flames engulfed portions of the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld was in the thick of things. He was right there assisting victims of the attack.
If Dick Cheney and George Bush had been at the Pentagon, they would have knocked each other down in their panic to escape and "get out of harm's way."
And so, while fire fighters and police were risking their lives, while brave men and women were climbing the burning, smoke-filled stairwells of the twin towers, to save the lives of those who could not save themselves, Cheney and Bush, thought only of saving their own skin. These two "Leaders of the Free World," these two war mongers who have never, ever, been in harm's way, the Commander-in-Chief, and his second in command, turned tail and ran.
I RAN FOR MY LIFE BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO GET OUT OF HARM'S WAY.
Bush had been told of both crashes, that early 9/11 morning. And he did nothing. He sat there, in that classroom, and smirked.
Everything so far, had gone according to plan.
But then the unexpected.
"It looks like we've been targeted!" Cheney cried.
To hell with everybody else!
Run! Hide! Run for you life!
At 9:55 am, Bush and his entourage sped off to the Sarasota-Bradenton airport, and from there it was to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. In order to make him feel more protected, the still shaking president of the free world was immediately surrounded by Air Force personnel with M-16s at the ready.
Bush still didn't fee safe. He was still scared. He was Frightened half to death.
Only an underground command bunker that could withstand a direct hit by an atomic bomb would suffice. He was whisked away to Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base and ground zero of the U.S. Strategic Command. Bush would hide out in an atomic bomb-proof bunker until assured that his life was no longer at risk.
At 9:43 am, as Bush was heading full throttle for safety, and as Cheney hid in the White House basement, American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757, with 58 passengers and six crew members on board, slammed into the Pentagon.
Ten minutes later, the White House was evacuated.
A few minutes later, high level officials in the Bush administration began taking the anti-anthrax medication, Cipro (3). The American public didn't know it yet, but they were soon to be subject to additional terrors, that, like 9/11, high level officials in the Bush administration already knew about.
As to Mr. Bush, as the day wore on, he was still hiding."
universitypress.info
Once a coward, always a coward. |
