Rumsfeld and 9-11-2001 Part two

The plane that had hit the Pentagon had taken off from Dulles, and was flying west to L.A., when it was hijacked.

Rumsfeld advised President Bush that this was now about self-defense, not retribution, and we needed to teach the terrorists by our actions that such attacks would not lead them to accomplish their insane goals. A strong offense would be the only way to go. Bush concurred, and wanted to destroy the enemy. Actions and inactions by previous administrations had given Islamic terrorists the impression that we were vulnerable. President Bush spoke to his top officials from SAC near Omaha. Bush insisted that the government rebound quickly and take the battle to the terrorists.

The leaders of Iran and Saudia Arabia expressed condolences. Only one regime, Saddaam Hussein's in Iraq, spoke out in favor of the attacks. President Bush gave a speech from the White House, announcing that the cost of state support of terrorists had just gone up.

At the end of "the longest day of my life," Rumsfeld called his top Pentagon people together for an assessment meeting about eleven p.m. His public information officer asked him if he had talked with Joyce, his wife of 47 years. He knew that Joyce had been taken to an Air Force Base for a briefing, but no, he had not talked to her at all. "You Son of a Bitch!" replied the female information officer. Rumsfeld admitted, "She had a point."
from Known and Unknown.