World

Unseen images: Bush administration after 9/11 attacks

Never-before-seen photos shed light on what was going on behind the scenes in wake of September 11 terrorist attacks

Web Desk October 29, 2015

Vice President Cheney watches as the first reports of terrorist attacks appear on television on September 11, 2001. Within minutes he would be frog-marched by Secret Service agents to the basement elevator of the White House. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

The US National Archives released a couple of months ago some shocking photos of the Bush administration in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre buildings. The images were released following a Freedom of Information Act request from Colette Neirouz Hanna, coordinating producer for films appearing on Frontline.

Photos taken by the former US vice president Dick Cheney’s staff photographer, show the Bush administration responding to the attack. Most of the photos are taken from inside the President’s Emergency Operations Centre, which is located below the White House.

10 years on: Zeroing in on Ground Zero

Secretary of State, Colin Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush and Lynne Cheney, the first and second ladies, are also featured in the photographs.

Here is a selection of 10 photographs from over 350 images released by the US National Archives:

Former CIA director George Tenet listens to President Bush's address in the President's Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) on September 11, 2001. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Lynne Cheney, former US 2nd Lady, in the President's Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) on September 11, 2001. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Former US president George W Bush with former vice president Cheney and senior staff in the President's Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) on September 11, 2001. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Former US secretary of state Colin Powell in the President's Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) on September 11, 2001. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Former US vice president’s top lawyer, David Addington (kneeling), conferred with Cheney. Addington would begin to secure the legal authority to respond to the attacks. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Former US vice president Cheney and Lynne Cheney aboard US Navy helicopter Marine Two. Moving the vice president is part of a Secret Service plan to preserve the continuity of leadership. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Former US vice president Cheney and Lynne Cheney depart the White House on US Navy Marine Two helicopter for an undisclosed location on September 11, 2001. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Former US vice president Cheney with senior staff in the President's Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) on September 11, 2001. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Former US vice president Dick Cheney with senior staff in the President's Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) on September 11, 2001. PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Former US president George W Bush with former vice president Dick Cheney and senior staff in the President's Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC). PHOTO COURTESY: US NATIONAL ARCHIVES

COMMENTS (11)

B Zane | 8 years ago | Reply What the heck is Lynn "Yellow Cake" Cheney doing in that room?

numbersnumbers | 9 years ago | Reply @B: In case you didn't bother to look up facts, President Bush was in Sarasota Florida at the time of the 9/11 attack, and returned to Washington that evening, requiring Vice-president Cheney to be relocated elsewhere due to security concerns!

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Farzan | 9 years ago | Reply @Mark adams: There are millions of Pakistanis here countering the narrative that 9/11 was an inside job. We stand with US in the war on terror. Both of us are victims.

Asad Zaidi | 9 years ago | Reply @Mark Adams: America should never have spent money to train a guerrilla army to defeat USSR in the 80's. Its the arrogant nature of US administration that made the world a worse place than it was. US has nuked two cities in Japan, wage a war in Vietnam, in Korea, in Iraq (which led to ISIS) Afghanistan(where taliban and Al-Qaeda people were trained by CIA). Its like US thinks of itself as the ruler of the world. Now all it can do is to clean the mess it has created in the world. We Pakistanis arent negative but you are being too naive to think that US is waging a war created by others. US created its own adversaries in the world and now its paying for it out of your tax money and the sacrifices of the armed forces.

Mark adams | 9 years ago | Reply I hope there are people in Pakistan that counter the kind of ignorance, hate, intolerance, and lack of compassion shown in some of these comments. You have many friends here in the US, and if you could visit New York City and talk to the thousands of people affected by the terror attacks, and visit the thousands of our veterans with catastrophic injuries from IEDs, you might see things very differently. We have a terribly troubled world, on that we can agree. Now I say--what can we do -- together -- to make it better. We need all of us to focus on that--imagine what we might be able to accomplish!

B | 9 years ago | Reply Question: If the attacks took place on the morning of Sept 11 and protocol required the VP to be located at a different location, why are they moving Cheney to another location in the night? Thats like 10-12 hours after the attacks. Just sayin'.

Najeebullah | 9 years ago | Reply Every thing around the world looks fake and drama to my fellow country men because they are used to it.

Stranger | 9 years ago | Reply Any thing happens to me happens only bec of me . US should ask itself " why has the world started hating me ? "

Karachiite | 9 years ago | Reply Partners in crime, all of them.

Maher | 9 years ago | Reply Why were they surprised, didn't CIA told them they are attacking Twin Towers??

Zubair | 9 years ago | Reply Look, how serious they are acting in 9/11 drama. From this day onwards, the US killed many innocent in fake war on terror. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria and the ball is still rolling. I hope Russia and China join hands to stop the American monster.

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