The Hindu : International : 9/11 was unforeseen: Bush

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Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

International

International

9/11 was unforeseen: Bush

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, APRIL 6. The United States President, George W. Bush, has said that he will tell the National Commission looking into the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, that his administration did not have the kind of information that was needed to prevent the attacks.

The 10-member panel will hear soon from Mr. Bush and the Vice-President, Dick Cheney, together. A date has been set for this meeting but neither the White House nor the Commission is willing to disclose it.

"Let me be very clear about this. Had we had the information that was necessary to stop an attack, I would have stopped the attack... If we had known that the enemy was going to fly airplanes into our buildings we would have done everything in our power to stop it," the President said.

Mr. Bush maintained that after 9/11, the U.S. went on a war footing and went to war against the Al-Qaeda. "And we are going to keep after them until they are brought to justice and America is secure," Mr. Bush told reporters in North Carolina.The President also made it known that he is looking forward to his National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice, deposing before the Commission this Thursday. Mr. Bush stressed that Dr. Rice "knows exactly what took place and will lay out the facts" when she meets the panel. "I am looking forward to people hearing her".

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