"A Great Opportunity": President Bush Describes 9/11

How did President Bush feel about the September 11 attacks? In the following hours, weeks, and months, he repeatedly used one word. While most people no doubt felt that it was an absolute catastrophe, George W. Bush described 9/11--or at least the political climate it had engendered--as an "opportunity." He said this again and again:

September 11, 2001
Hours after the attacks, during a 9:30 p.m. meeting with his key advisers, Bush declared: "This is a great opportunity. We have to think of this as an opportunity." [1]

Later that evening, he dictated for his diary: "My hope is that this will provide an opportunity for us to rally the world against terrorism." [2]

September 13, 2001
During an appearance in the White House Oval Office, Bush said: "You know, through the tears of sadness I see an opportunity. ... And now is an opportunity to do generations a favor, by coming together and whipping terrorism." [3]

During the National Security Council meeting later that day, he said: "This is a new world. ... Start the clock. This is an opportunity. ... I want Afghan options ... I want decisions quick." [4]

September 19, 2001
During a photo opportunity at the White House, the president described: "Progress is being made. ... I said at the time, through my tears I see opportunity. One of the opportunities I saw was the ability not to put--not only for freedom-loving nations to come together to say resolutely we will fight terrorism, but I felt like there would be--this event may shake up the attitudes of the Middle East where people would end up resolving to show the world that there could be peace there as well." [5]

During another photo opportunity later in the day, he said: "Let me say that, in terms of foreign policy and in terms of the world, this horrible tragedy has provided us with an interesting opportunity. One of the opportunities is in the Middle East. ... I think there's some interesting opportunities to shake terrorism loose from sponsor states. And this government, working with Congress, are going to seize the moment." [6]

October 3, 2001
Bush told a meeting of business leaders in New York: "There's now a reassessment taking place all over America. ... [P]eople are reassessing: what can I do to help? I truly believe that out of this will come greater opportunities for peace; peace in the Middle East. This is a fantastic opportunity born out of sadness, and the question is--can we seize it?" [7]

October 21, 2001
During a press conference along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bush said: "Both of us see great opportunity. Both of us see positive good that has come out of the evil of September the 11th. Both of us are willing to work hard to seize the moment." [8]

October 29, 2001
Addressing the African Growth and Opportunity Forum, the president said: "Out of the sorrow of September 11th, I see opportunity, a chance for nations to strengthen and rethink and reinvigorate their relationships." [9]

January 29, 2002
During his State of the Union address, the president said: "In the sacrifice of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of firefighters, and the bravery and generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed what a new culture of responsibility could look like. ... We've been offered a unique opportunity, and we must not let this moment pass. ... This time of adversity offers a unique moment of opportunity--a moment we must seize to change our culture. ... And we have a great opportunity during this time of war to lead the world toward the values that will bring lasting peace. ... In this moment of opportunity, a common danger is erasing old rivalries." [10]

July 19, 2002
Bush told journalist Bill Sammon that "the events of September 11 caused him to focus on two big goals that he believed the nation could achieve." One of these, the president said, was "peace. ... I believe we can achieve the peace in the Middle East. And I believe we can achieve a peace in South Asia. ... I view this as an opportunity that we will seize." And at home, he added: "the cultural shift toward personal responsibility is going to enable us to better deal with those who could be left behind. ... And one of my jobs is to seize this opportunity, to encourage its impact on our culture." [11]

It would appear that the president's feelings were similar to those articulated by a senior Pentagon official. In 2004, this unnamed official told Washington Times reporter Rowan Scarborough: "I hate to say this and would never say this in public, but 9/11 had its benefits." [12]

NOTES
[1] Bob Woodward, Bush at War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2002, pp. 31-32.
[2] Dan Balz and Bob Woodward, "America's Chaotic Road to War." Washington Post, January 27, 2002.
[3] "President Pledges Assistance for New York in Phone Call With Pataki, Giuliani." White House, September 13, 2001; Elisabeth Bumiller and Jane Perlez, "The Overview; Bush and Top Aides Proclaim Policy of 'Ending' States That Back Terror; Local Airports Shut After an Arrest." New York Times, September 14, 2001.
[4] Dan Balz, Bob Woodward and Jeff Himmelman, "Afghan Campaign's Blueprint Emerges." Washington Post, January 29, 2002.
[5] "President Building Worldwide Campaign Against Terrorism." White House, September 19, 2001.
[6] "Remarks by the President at Photo Opportunity With House and Senate Leadership." White House, September 19, 2001.
[7] Karen Hughes, Ten Minutes From Normal. New York: Viking, 2004, pp. 267-268.
[8] "President Bush and Russian President Putin Discuss Progress." White House, October 21, 2001.
[9] "U.S., Africa Strengthen Counter-Terrorism and Economic Ties." White House, October 29, 2001.
[10] "President Delivers State of the Union Address." White House, January 29, 2002.
[11] Bill Sammon, Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism--From Inside the Bush White House. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2002, pp. 382-383.
[12] Rowan Scarborough, Rumsfeld's War: The Untold Story of America's Anti-Terrorist Commander. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2004, pp. iii.

Excellent Work Shoestring! This leads to the 911 Wars.

I hope we can see the connection to the 911 Wars.

9/11 Used as a Justification to Invade & Occupy Iraq
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6V_ANXIlAk

More on Lord Bush.

Mission Accomplished - 4 Years Later
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1N202e9WrM

Mission Accomplished
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GJUGUYsm68

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The CONSTITUTION is NOT going to "collapse" into pulverized dust no matter how much thermate/explosives or planes they throw at it

The 911 President & his 911 military

Some will attack me on this and say this is off-topic.

If you look at the big picture, I don't think so.

The 911 President operates on HUBIS, SHEER ARROGANCE.

His deceptive statements (see above) on Sept. 11 in order to lie to America & THE WHOLE WORLD should be proof enough.

The impending war with IRAN is a Clear Indicator. I submit this for those who see, that the US with its failing dollar, is not necessarily the superpower she thinks she is.

My point, as made clearly by many others, is to be careful about what this "911" President is doing.

His foreign AND domestic policy.

I hope we can see the relevance of this article below. It is important in the light of all the 911 deceptions and hubris. Thinking other nations will stand by and do nothing may the worst mistake to make.

I am talking about the 911 EMPIRE he is trying to build and why others who KNOW may be capable of stopping him and his friends. Pls see the relevance.

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The uninvited guest: Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced
By MATTHEW HICKLEY
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_ar...

When the U.S. Navy deploys a battle fleet on exercises, it takes the security of its aircraft carriers very seriously indeed.

At least a dozen warships provide a physical guard while the technical wizardry of the world's only military superpower offers an invisible shield to detect and deter any intruders.

That is the theory. Or, rather, was the theory.

Uninvited guest: A Chinese Song Class submarine, like the one that sufaced by the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk

American military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese submarine popping up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft supercarrier with 4,500 personnel on board.

By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song Class diesel-electric attack submarine is understood to have sailed within viable range for launching torpedoes or missiles at the carrier.

According to senior Nato officials the incident caused consternation in the U.S. Navy.

The Americans had no idea China's fast-growing submarine fleet had reached such a level of sophistication, or that it posed such a threat.

One Nato figure said the effect was "as big a shock as the Russians launching Sputnik" - a reference to the Soviet Union's first orbiting satellite in 1957 which marked the start of the space age.

The incident, which took place in the ocean between southern Japan and Taiwan, is a major embarrassment for the Pentagon

Battle stations: The Kitty Hawk carries 4,500 personnel

The lone Chinese vessel slipped past at least a dozen other American warships which were supposed to protect the carrier from hostile aircraft or submarines.

And the rest of the costly defensive screen, which usually includes at least two U.S. submarines, was also apparently unable to detect it.

According to the Nato source, the encounter has forced a serious re-think of American and Nato naval strategy as commanders reconsider the level of threat from potentially hostile Chinese submarines.

It also led to tense diplomatic exchanges, with shaken American diplomats demanding to know why the submarine was "shadowing" the U.S. fleet while Beijing pleaded ignorance and dismissed the affair as coincidence.

Analysts believe Beijing was sending a message to America and the West demonstrating its rapidly-growing military capability to threaten foreign powers which try to interfere in its "backyard".

The People's Liberation Army Navy's submarine fleet includes at least two nuclear-missile launching vessels.

Its 13 Song Class submarines are extremely quiet and difficult to detect when running on electric motors.

Commodore Stephen Saunders, editor of Jane's Fighting Ships, and a former Royal Navy anti-submarine specialist, said the U.S. had paid relatively little attention to this form of warfare since the end of the Cold War.

He said: "It was certainly a wake-up call for the Americans.

"It would tie in with what we see the Chinese trying to do, which appears to be to deter the Americans from interfering or operating in their backyard, particularly in relation to Taiwan."

In January China carried a successful missile test, shooting down a satellite in orbit for the first time.

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The CONSTITUTION is NOT going to "collapse" into pulverized dust no matter how much thermate/explosives or planes they throw at it

Help with more quotes

I was having a discussion with someone, and I was looking for quotes from Bush and others along these lines. I seem to remember that on 9/11 there were statements from Rumsfeld and/or Wolfowitz to the effect that the attacks represented opportunities, or were otherwise good things.

Can anyone direct me>

Help on the way.

Here's a hell of a quote.

Bush spoke before Congress on September 11, 1990, delivering a speech which he entitled "Toward a New World Order". Addressing the subject of his Gulf War, he made his first public utterance of his, and his rich cronies' plans for a world imperialism in stating that the war in Iraq was "...a rare opportunity to move toward an historic period of cooperation. Out of these troubled times...a new world order can emerge."

Comes from this document http://www.lawfulpath.com/ref/vk2k.shtml

Keep the work up. This could be fun if we succeed.

Sweeping it all up

Rumsfeld on 9/11 mentioned to aides that he wanted 'the best information fast'--in particular, information that could be used to justify invading Iraq, and not just going after 'UBL' (bin Laden). His remarks included the phrase, 'sweep it all up, things related and not' (i.e., even governments unrelated to the 9/11 attacks might be targeted for invasion and overthrow).

How do we know this? I believe it was from notes hastily written down on a memo (in Rumsfeld's hand, or one of his aides?), and I'm not sure how those notes surfaced and came to be reported.

Opportunist

As my Webster's has opportunism: the practice or policy of adapting one's actions, judgments, etc. to circumstances, as in politics, in order to further one's immediate interests, without regard for basic principles or eventual consequences - opportunist.
Our reluctant President?
I believe this is why the man is always confused, and cannot speak simple sentences, without the feeling that he has to cover his ass, with every statement. Knowing the inevitable truth underlying the events of that day. He knows the difference between right and wrong, and it becomes more obvious, day after day, that he has been drawn over to that dark side...
Most sensible men would eventually jump off of a bridge, or turn themselves in for a lifetime of toast, mush, a cup of coffee, and "line up!"
Resignation is looking good already...