This 'zeal for secrecy' I am talking about – and I have barely touched the surface – adds up to a victory for the terrorists. When they plunged those hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon three years ago this morning, they were out to hijack our Gross National Psychology. If they could fill our psyche with fear – as if the imagination of each one of us were Afghanistan and they were the Taliban – they could deprive us of the trust and confidence required for a free society to work. They could prevent us from ever again believing in a safe, decent or just world and from working to bring it about. By pillaging and plundering our peace of mind they could panic us into abandoning those unique freedoms – freedom of speech, freedom of the press – that constitute the ability of democracy to self-correct and turn the ship of state before it hits the iceberg. Bill Moyers, speech Society of Professional Journalists 11th September 2004
Thank God for 9/11. Thank God that, five years ago, the wrath of God was poured out upon this evil nation. America, land of the sodomite damned ... The deadly events of 9/11 were direct outpourings of divine retribution, the immediate visitation of God's wrath and vengeance and punishment for America’s horrendous sodomite sins. Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church
When I see a 9/11 victim family on television, or whatever, I’m just like, ‘Oh shut up.’ I’m so sick of them because they’re always complaining. Glenn Beck
Can you actually imagine that our government was actually capable of pulling off 9/11? Glenn Beck, 22nd October 2007
It took me about a year to start hating the 9/11 victims’ families. Glenn Beck, 9th September 2005
Did these terrorist attacks occur in order to take away many of our civil liberties and constitutional rights in an effort to more effectively control the population, looking toward the takeover of our country and the world? I believe so. Ted Gunderson, former FBI senior agent
All right, so he became President. But he didn’t know why. And on September 11th he discovered why. Michael Ledeen, Neo-Conservative, televised interview cited The New American Century
I didn’t say that there is a direct connection between September the 11th and Saddam Hussein. George W Bush, 20 March 2006
Today our nation saw evil. The very worst of human nature. George W Bush
I don’t know where he is. You know, I just don’t spend that much time on it, to be honest with you. George W Bush
I don’t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and don’t really care. It’s not that important. It’s not our priority. George W Bush, 13 March 2002, cited fromtheleft online
Nobody’s ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq. George W Bush
The operatives had been instructed to ensure that the explosives went off at a point that was high enough to prevent people trapped above from escaping. George W Bush
We knew he hated us. But nobody in our government at least and I don’t think the prior government could envisage flying aeroplanes into buildings on such a massive scale. George W Bush
America was targeted for attack because we are the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. George W Bush
Press Corps: Mr President, why are you and the Vice-President insisting on appearing together before the 9/11 Commission?
George W Bush: Because the 9/11 Commission wants to ask us questions. That’s why we’re meeting. And I look forward to meeting with them and answering their questions.
Press Corps: Why you’re appearing together rather than separately which was their request?
George W Bush: Because it’s a good chance for both of us to answer questions that the 9/11 Commission is looking forward to asking us, and I’m looking forward to answering them.
The hijackers were instruments of evil. Who died in vain. Behind them is a cult of evil which seeks to harm the innocent and thrives on human suffering. There’s is the worst kind of cruelty. The cruelty that is fed not weakened by tears. There’s is the worst kind of violence. Pure malice while daring to claim the authority of God. We cannot fully understands the designs and power of evil. It is enough to know that evil like goodness exists. And in the terrorist evil has found a willing servant. George W Bush
I can hear you. The rest of the world can hear you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. George W Bush with megaphone to 9/11 firefighters
We must speak the truth about Terror. Let us never tolerate outrageous conspiracy theories concerning the attacks of September 11th. Malicious lies that attempt to shift the blame away from the terrorists themselves. Away from the guilty. George W Bush, address United Nations 10th November 2001
We have given extraordinary cooperation with Chairmen Kean and Hamilton. George W Bush, televised interview
Was whispered in my ear: a second plane has hit the second tower; America is under attack. George W Bush: The 9/11 Interview
My first reaction was anger. ibid.
I came to the conclusion that we were at war. ibid.
We realised that the enemy was using commercial aircraft or aircraft to attack us. ibid.
It became apparent we’re facing a new kind of enemy. ibid.
There was a debate in Washington about whether or not we should declare war. And I made the decision not to declare war that night. ibid.
Student: What was the first thing that went through your head when you heard that a plane crashed into the first –
George W Bush: Well I was sitting in a schoolhouse in Florida ... I was sitting there and my chief of staff – well first of all when we walked into the classroom I had seen this plane fly into the first building. There was a TV set on. And you know I thought it was pilot error. cited 9/11 In Plane Sight the director’s cut
The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq were the ones who attacked us in America on September the 11th. George W Bush, Washington 12th July 2007
Reporter: Howard Dean recently seemed to muse aloud whether you had advanced knowledge of 9/11. Do you agree or disagree with the RNC that this kind of rhetoric borders on political hate speech?
George W Bush: Yeah, er, there’s time for politics ... And er you know ... There’s time for politics. And er ... I er ... It’s an absurd insinuation. press conference
I don’t think anyone could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Centre. Condoleezza Rice
The US has evidence of bin Laden’s role in terrorist attacks that it will present in due time. Condoleezza Rice
An opportunity to refashion the world. Donald Rumsfeld
Here we’re talking about plastic knives, and using an American Airlines flight filled with our citizens, and the missile to damage this building, and similar [inaudible] that damaged the World Trade Centre. Donald Rumsfeld, interview Parade magazine 12th October 2001 Pentagon
There were lots of warnings. Donald Rumsfeld
We haven’t gotten the materials we needed and we certainly haven’t gotten them in a timely fashion. The deadlines we set ... passed. Thomas H Kean, chairman 9/11 Commission, television interview
There was a before 9/11. And there was an after 9/11. After 9/11 the gloves come off. Cofer Black to Congressional Hearing, CIA counter-terrorism
I guarantee if the president had tried to orchestrate something like 9/11 there would have been catastrophic leaks. Professor Allan Lichtman, American University
To be truthful about it, there was no way we could have got the public consent to have suddenly launched a campaign on Afghanistan but for what happened on September 11. Tony Blair 17th July 2002