[Quilla]

Maybe I'm too over-protective of our President, but several things bothered me.

This comment about Powell:

On the eight-hour flight back, he told reporters that he would be contacting world leaders in the days to come. But it would be 10 hours before he was able to speak directly to his own leader, President Bush.

Also, this:

No one is sure where the story reported at this time of a "credible terrorist threat" to Air Force One came from. What can be safely said is that it served the White House's immediate purposes, even though it was completely untrue.

I'm thinking I read somewhere that there was indeed a credible threat to Air Force One. I could be wrong and like I said, I'm over-protective. My defensive stance may be due to Jennings' ludicrous comments that day.

[bulldog905]

I see where you are coming from.

If there was an imminent nuclear attack on our nation, the last place I would like our commander in chief to be, would be Washington, D.C.

Aside from that one part (which is still in dispute, despite what the article says) I thought GWB came out as firm, decisive, and as a leader up to running the country in a time of national emergency.

[okiedust]

I thought the article on balance was good, but I do see what you mean about the inference that the president didn't return to Washington was because he was afraid. It's part of the story of that day, however, because the press made it so, and must be mentioned. I just wish it were mentioned in the context, of say: "The press, never friendly to the president raised questions early on as to the president's whereabouts. This was an unecessary and ill timed distraction at a time of severe crisis." No that would be a fair description of the medias part in the events of the day, can't have that can we?

Otherwise, he appears to be strong and unafraid and it comes over in the article.

regards

[chantal7]

Yes, someone, I think Cheney said that around 9 am, 9/11, the Secret Service had received a fax or telex at the White House that said in the code of the day that "Air Force 1 is next".

That's one of the reasons that they think there is a high level mole that gave them the code or that they have otherwise compromised some of our intelligence agencies.