After the attacks had occurred, while crisis managers were still sorting out
a number of unnerving false alarms, Air Force One flew to Barksdale Air Force
Base in Louisiana. One of these alarms was of a reported threat against Air
Force One itself, a threat eventually run down to a misunderstood communication
in the hectic White House Situation Room that morning.1
WARTIME
While the plan at the elementary school had been to return to Washington, by
the time Air Force One was airborne at 9:55 A.M. the Secret Service,
the President's advisers, and Vice President Cheney were strongly
advising against it. President Bush reluctantly acceded to this advice and, at
about 10:10, Air Force One changed course and began heading due west. The
immediate objective was to find a safe location-not too far away-where the
President could land and speak to the American people. The Secret Service was
also interested in refueling the aircraft and paring down the size of the
traveling party. The President's military aide, an Air Force officer, quickly
researched the options and, sometime around 10:20, identified Barksdale Air
Force Base as an appropriate interim destination.2
When Air Force One landed at Barksdale at about 11:45, personnel from the
local Secret Service office were still en route to the airfield. The motorcade
consisted of a military police lead vehicle and a van; the proposed briefing
theater had no phones or electrical outlets. Staff scrambled to prepare another
room for the President's remarks, while the lead Secret Service agent reviewed
the security situation with superiors in Washington. The President completed his
statement, which for security reasons was taped and not broadcast live, and the
traveling party returned to Air Force One. The next destination was discussed:
once again the Secret Service recommended against returning to Washington, and
the Vice President agreed. Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska was chosen because
of its elaborate command and control facilities, and because it could
accommodate overnight lodging for 50 persons. The Secret Service wanted a place
where the President could spend several days, if necessary.3
Air Force One arrived at Offutt at 2:50 P.M. At about 3:15, President Bush
met with his principal advisers through a secure video teleconference.4
Rice said President Bush began the meeting with the words, "We're at war,"5
and that Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet said the agency was still
assessing who was responsible, but the early signs all pointed to al Qaeda.6That
evening the Deputies Committee returned to the pending presidential directive
they had labored over during the summer.7
The secretary of defense directed the nation's armed forces to Defense
Condition 3, an increased state of military readiness.8 For the first
time in history, all nonemergency civilian aircraft in the United States were
grounded, stranding tens of thousands of passengers across the country.
Contingency plans for the continuity of government and the evacuation of leaders
had been implemented.9 The Pentagon had been struck; the White House
or the Capitol had narrowly escaped direct attack. Extraordinary security
precautions were put in place at the nation's borders and ports.
In the late afternoon, the President overruled his aides' continuing
reluctance to have him return to Washington and ordered Air Force One back to
Andrews Air Force Base. He was flown by helicopter back to the White House,
passing over the still-smoldering Pentagon. At 8:30 that evening, President Bush
addressed the nation from the White House. After emphasizing that the first
priority was to help the injured and protect against any further attacks, he
said: "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed
these acts and those who harbor them." He quoted Psalm 23-"though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . ." No American, he said,
"will ever forget this day."10
Following his speech, President Bush met again with his National Security
Council (NSC), expanded to include Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and
Joseph Allbaugh, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who had returned from Peru after hearing of the
attacks, joined the discussion. They reviewed the day's events.11
