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The Family Steering Committee
Statement and Questions
Regarding
the 9/11 Commission Interview
with President Bush
Statement
and Questions 1-23 submitted February 16, 2004
Questions
24-39 submitted March 18, 2004
Before
an audience of the American people, the Commission must ask President
Bush in sworn testimony, the following questions:
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Questions Column
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Rating
boxes/ columns
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1
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2
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3
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1. As Commander-in-Chief on the morning of 9/11,
why didn’t you return immediately to Washington, DC or the National
Military Command Center once you became aware that America was under
attack? Not
happy about it
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x
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• At
specifically what time did you become aware that America was under
attack?
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x
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• Who
informed you of this fact?
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x
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2. On the morning of 9/11, who was in charge of our country while you
were away from the National Military Command Center? Were you informed
or consulted about all decisions made in your absence?
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x
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3. What defensive action did you personally order to protect our
nation during the crisis on September 11th?
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x
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• What
time were these orders given, and to whom?
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x
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• What
orders were carried out?
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x
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• What
was the result of such orders?
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x
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• Were
any such orders not carried out?
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x
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4. In your opinion, why was our nation so utterly unprepared for an
attack on our own soil?
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x
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5. U.S. Navy Captain Deborah Loewer, the Director of the White House
Situation Room, informed you of the first airliner hitting Tower One of
the World Trade Center before you entered the Emma E. Booker Elementary
School in Sarasota, Florida. Please explain the reason why you decided
to continue with the scheduled classroom visit, fifteen minutes after
learning the first hijacked airliner had hit the World Trade Center. Not happy about it
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x
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6. Is it normal procedure for the Director of the
White House Situation Room to travel with you?
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x
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• If so, please cite any prior examples of when this occurred.
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x
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• If not normal procedure, please explain the circumstances that led to
the White House Situation Room Director being asked to accompany you to
Florida during the week of September 11th.
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x
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7. What plan of action caused you to remain seated after Andrew Card
informed you that a second airliner had hit the second tower of the
World Trade Center and America was clearly under attack? Not happy about it
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x
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• Approximately how long
did you remain in the classroom after Card’s message?
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X
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8. At what time were you made aware that other planes were hijacked in
addition to Flight 11 and Flight 175?
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x
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• Who notified you?
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X
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• What was your course
of action as Commander-in-Chief of the United States?
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X
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9. Beginning with the transition period between the Clinton
administration and your own, and ending on 9/11/01, specifically what
information (either verbal or written) about terrorists, possible
attacks and targets, did you receive from any source?
This would include briefings or communications from
• Out-going Clinton officials
• CIA, FBI, NSA, DoD and other intelligence agencies
• Foreign intelligence, governments, dignitaries or envoys
• National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice
• Richard Clarke, former counterterrorism czar
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X
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10. Specifically, what did you learn from the
August 6, '01, PDB about the terrorist threat that was facing our
nation?
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X
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• Did
you request any follow-up action to take place?
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X
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• Did
you request any further report be developed and/or prepared?
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X
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11. As Commander-in-Chief, from May 1, 2001 until September 11, 2001,
did you receive any information from any intelligence agency official or
agent that UBL was planning to attack this nation on its own soil using
airplanes as weapons, targeting New York City landmarks during the week
of September 11, 2001 or on the actual day of September 11, 2001?
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X
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12. What defensive measures did you take in response to pre-9/11
warnings from eleven nations about a terrorist attack, many of which
cited an attack in the continental United States?
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X
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• Did
you prepare any directives in response to these actions?
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X
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• If
so, with what results?
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X
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13. As Commander-in-Chief from May 1, 2001 until September 11, 2001,
did you or any agent of the United States government carry out any
negotiations or talks with UBL, an agent of UBL, or al-Qaeda?
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X
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• During that same period, did you or any agent of the United
States government carry out any negotiations or talks with any foreign
government, its agents, or officials regarding UBL?
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X
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• If so, what resulted?
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X
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14. Your schedule for September 11, 2001 was in the public domain
since September 7, 2001. The Emma E. Booker School is only five miles
from the Bradenton Airport, so you, and therefore the children in the
classroom, might have been a target for the terrorists on 9/11. What was
the intention of the Secret Service in allowing you to remain in the
Emma E. Booker Elementary School, even though they were aware America
was under attack?
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X
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15. Please explain why you remained at the Sarasota, Florida,
Elementary School for a press conference after you had finished
listening to the children read, when as a terrorist target, your
presence potentially jeopardized the lives of the children?
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X
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16. What was the purpose of the several stops of
Air Force One on September 11th?
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X
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• Was Air Force One at any
time during the day of September 11th a target of the terrorists?
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• Was Air Force One’s code
ever breached on September 11th?
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17. Was there a reason for Air Force One lifting off without a
military escort, even after ample time had elapsed to allow military
jets to arrive?
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X
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18. What prompted your refusal to release the information regarding
foreign sponsorship of the terrorists, as illustrated in the
inaccessible 28 redacted pages in the Joint Intelligence Committee
Inquiry Report?
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X
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• What actions have you personally taken since 9/11 to thwart
foreign sponsorship of terrorism?
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X
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19. Who approved the flight of the bin Laden
family out of the United States when all commercial flights were
grounded, when there was time for only minimal questioning by the FBI,
and especially, when two of those same individuals had links to WAMY, a
charity suspected of funding terrorism?
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X
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• Why were bin Laden family
members granted that special privilege—a privilege not available to
American families whose loved ones were killed on 9/11?
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X
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20. Please explain why no one in any level of our government has yet
been held accountable for the countless failures leading up to and on
9/11?
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X
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21. Please comment on the fact that UBL’s profile on the FBI’s
Ten Most Wanted Fugitives poster does not include the 9/11 attacks.
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X
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• To your knowledge, when
was the last time any agent of our government had contact with UBL?
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X
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• If prior to 9/11, specifically what was the date of that
contact and what was the context of said meeting.
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X
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22. Do you continue to maintain that Saddam Hussein was linked to al
Qaeda?
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X
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• What proof do you
have of any connection between al-Qaeda and the Hussein regime?
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X
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23. Which individuals, governments, agencies, institutions, or groups
may have benefited from the attacks of 9/11? Please state
specifically how you think they have benefited.
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X
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24. After the first WTC building was struck, did you receive any
information directly or indirectly from the Secret Service agents
located in WTC 7?
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X
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• If so, what information did you receive?
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X
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• Did the Secret Service agents or anyone
else accompanying you attempt to call the New York City Secret Service
office for information?
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X
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• Did the Secret Service agents or anyone
else accompanying you attempt to call the Washington Secret Service
office?
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X
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• Who
provided you information, directly or indirectly & what exactly was
that information?
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X
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25. Please describe the role and influence of the President’s
Foreign Advisory Council in establishing the administration’s
counterterrorism policies.
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X
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26. In Feb 28, 2001, you released your economic blueprint and stated
"to improve INS' focus on
service and to reduce the delays in INS processing of immigration
applications, the administration proposes a universal 6-month standard
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