Question about the agents reaction at the school on 9/11

As we all know there has been a lot of talk about why the secret service agents did'nt hurry the president out of the classroom on 9/11 once they knew the plane had hit the WTC.
As an ex close protection officer myself, i'm curious as to what the standard immediate action drills are for the presidents security at times like this. Does anyone have any info on what SHOULD have happened that day, or do we only have peoples opinions here? Are there any documents or training manuals that state what should have happened, or as close as possible?

Does the secret service have the authority to take control of the presidents actions, or maybe i'm asking were the agents there that day not doing thier job properly and has anyone been subsequently reprimanded over it?

I know from experience that things are'nt always able to go to plan, and even the textbook reaction can't always be carried out, but sitting there reading with a class full of kids!?

Ok i get the message now that Bush is'nt overly furnished in the brain department, but you'd have thought the guys behind him would have been?

CX.

CX,
No, I don't have the OFFICIAL answer as stated in the manual, but considering how the SS tackled Reagan when he was shot, it's a good guess that they were supposed to drag him out of there ASAP.
Especially since every person (and plane) knew exactly where to find him.

In retrospect, he looks like a man that is somewhat stunned and in disbelief that what his VP Richard Cheney told him was going to happen, was actually happening. And the fact that the Secret Service did not throw him over a shoulder or drag him out of there is very suspicious indeed. As if they knew he was not in any danger.

The whole thing stinks to high heaven.

~~

to my thinking, the non-action by the secret service was a prudent response.
after all, the very early event of a airplane that got way off course,
and that airplane being hours & miles away up in NYC
there was at that moment, no real indication there was a multi-pronged attack underway...and that the President might be in danger.

If i recall correctly, Pres. Bush was whisked away after the SS intel got word that another craft was diverting from its assigned flight corridor.
its then that the secret service went into their immediate threat response.

up until then it was very appropriate for the appearance of calm,
and for Pres. GW Bush to show poise & presence, & continue his visit with the school kids. Because for the 1st 1/2 hour of 9-11 it was probably only a very strange and surreal accident ....

? what was the sequence of events for former Pres. Clinton when that airplane attempted to crash the white-house & he was at Camp David,MD?
(as that episode has more similarities, than the gun shooting attack on Pres. Regan & the SecretService responses)

looking back & assessing that day....the USA was the 1st victim of the 'Shock & Awe' tactic...

This event piqued my curiosity as to why they didn't immediately whisk him out of there. We must realize the immense amount of resources that are available to the SS. I imagine that they are in some sort of CONSTANT contact with a military style command center who know EXACTLY what's happening in the air, on land, etc. anywhere NEAR the president. Once they verified we were under attack, things changed quickly. Don't forget, he went on a secret flight darn near the entire day, landing at several bases.

Also, I heard somewhere that some sort of "codes" were transmitted to AirForce1 on 911 that made the SS very nervous and hinted at some deep military involvement in 911. Can anyone clarify for me?

Originally posted by St Udio
~~

to my thinking, the non-action by the secret service was a prudent response.
after all, the very early event of a airplane that got way off course,
and that airplane being hours & miles away up in NYC
there was at that moment, no real indication there was a multi-pronged attack underway...and that the President might be in danger.

I don't believe that to be the case. Didn't the agent say to Bush after the second plane hit..."A plane has hit the world trade center. We are under attack"

Card whispered: "America is under attack.''

One year ago this week in the United States, the unthinkable became automatic. A band of Muslim zealots from the Middle East turned four American commercial jets into missiles, killing more than 3,000 people, and the specter of terrorism settled over the land. The United States, every American finally understood, has enemies who are not only eager to, but capable of, killing us on our own soil.

First with hijacked planes. Perhaps next with anthrax or poison gas. And later, who can say? Maybe a nuclear bomb in a suitcase.

"I'm sitting in the midst of a classroom with little kids, listening to a children's story, and I realize I'm the commander in chief and the country has just come under attack,'' Bush later recalled. "I made up my mind at that moment we were going to war.''

www.suntimes.com...

To me it always showed that it is proof he had no idea what was to happen which I know contradicts alot of theory on here. The first plane hit, and it was thought to be an accident at the time. He starts to read the story, and then he is told that a second plane hit. I mean, what should you do? Storm a classroom with weapons drawn, scare the hell out of the kids and cause a panic.

I would think that it would take that long for them to confirm clear airspace, and make sure that everything is locked down. I mean, SS is under a certain awareness at all times, but I am sure there are extra measures in play for situations such as this. I felt that it was handled in a professional manner. Besides, what could he have done that others were not already doing during those few minutes? Once the second plane hit, we knew that we were under attack, and the ball was rolling to protect ourselves without the president saying 'do it'.

Now, if he would have stuck around for another 45 minutes and had cookies, then I would have seen a problem.

Regardless of whether the SS knew of any other planes that were off course or not, they wouldnt know whether or not someone was close by with a gun or possibly bomb to try and kill bush, they should of done either of 2 things IMO;

1) drag him out without making any appologies for scaring the kids, and get him somehwere safe ASAP.

2) inform him that they need to leave ASAP, to make his excuse's to the kids and leave straight away, something like "I'm really sorry kids but something real important has happened that needs me to leave you with you're story, carry on reading and I'll be sure to pay you another visit when we can finish the story" or similar, you get the picture, 30 seconds explaining, nobody gets scared, he gets out ASAP and safe, seems simple to me.

IMO the SS must train for this until they know the procedure backwards, unless they had an order from someone who KNEW 100% he was in no danger, theres no way they wouldnt put into action one of their well rehearsed strategies, leaving him sat there with a bunch of kids would not be one of those I doubt very much! at the very least they should of moved him for the safety of all the kids/civilians at his location.

It screams conspiracy in my eyes, I cant see ANY reason why they would leave him there to carry on reading that damn book.

Originally posted by Ernold Same
Regardless of whether the SS knew of any other planes that were off course or not, they wouldnt know whether or not someone was close by with a gun or possibly bomb to try and kill bush, they should of done either of 2 things IMO;

1) drag him out without making any appologies for scaring the kids, and get him somehwere safe ASAP.

2) inform him that they need to leave ASAP, to make his excuse's to the kids and leave straight away, something like "I'm really sorry kids but something real important has happened that needs me to leave you with you're story, carry on reading and I'll be sure to pay you another visit when we can finish the story" or similar, you get the picture, 30 seconds explaining, nobody gets scared, he gets out ASAP and safe, seems simple to me.

IMO the SS must train for this until they know the procedure backwards, unless they had an order from someone who KNEW 100% he was in no danger, theres no way they wouldnt put into action one of their well rehearsed strategies, leaving him sat there with a bunch of kids would not be one of those I doubt very much! at the very least they should of moved him for the safety of all the kids/civilians at his location.

It screams conspiracy in my eyes, I cant see ANY reason why they would leave him there to carry on reading that damn book.

I agree with this completely. It makes absolutely NO sense for them to react (or NOT react) the way they did considering the standard procedure of the SS.

Another major reason it makes no sense is the fact that just weeks before 9/11 there was an apparent attempt to kill Bush using a plane that would crash into his hotel. It failed obviously, but the point is that the SS would have been on SERIOUS alert.

(I can't remember where I read that .. looking for a link ..)

I think some of you guys may be mistaking 'standard procedure' for what happens in the movies rather than real life in all honesty.

"I'm sitting in the midst of a classroom with little kids, listening to a children's story, and I realize I'm the commander in chief and the country has just come under attack,'' Bush later recalled. "I made up my mind at that moment we were going to war.''

Hmmmm there is something not quit right with that statement don't you think?...

"I realized I was the CIC"? He didn't know this before?

"I made up my mind at that moment"?

I think we all know he had plans to go to war long before 9-11.

The Bush administration made plans for war and for Iraq's oil before the 9/11 attacks, sparking a policy battle between neo-cons and Big Oil, BBC's Newsnight has revealed.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Secret US plan for Iraqi oil...
www.gregpalast.com...

And I think the look on bushes face after he was told probably scared the kids more than if he had made his apologies and left...

BTW Agent Smith good try but sry

[edit on 22/4/2006 by ANOK]

Originally posted by esdad71
To me it always showed that it is proof he had no idea what was to happen which I know contradicts alot of theory on here. The first plane hit, and it was thought to be an accident at the time. He starts to read the story, and then he is told that a second plane hit. I mean, what should you do? Storm a classroom with weapons drawn, scare the hell out of the kids and cause a panic.

Scare the kids
The United States government would never do that, especially for something as miniscule as our nation being under attack



It's like if a cop was at a DARE meeting in a school and he sees a carjacking take place outside and does nothing. You can't "scare the children!" Give me a break!

I would think that it would take that long for them to confirm clear airspace, and make sure that everything is locked down. I mean, SS is under a certain awareness at all times, but I am sure there are extra measures in play for situations such as this. I felt that it was handled in a professional manner. Besides, what could he have done that others were not already doing during those few minutes? Once the second plane hit, we knew that we were under attack, and the ball was rolling to protect ourselves without the president saying 'do it'.

The point is that the President is in a very well publicized placed and it should be ASSUMED by default that his location is known and that he is in a very real danger. That is unless of course they knew he wasn't.
It's not, "What could he have done?" It's, "Why was he not protected like the President of the United States."

Furthermore, there is no reason that Bush would have to know about elements of the government pulling off 9/11 in order for it to happen. We all know Cheney is calling the shots. As he was in the PEOC on 9/11.

Cheney calling the shots

The immediate reaction by EVERYONE after the first plane hit was "accident". The Secret Service doesn't whisk the President out of wherever he is anytime there is an accident somewhere in the country. They didn't know what kind of plane, or anything else right away. Their standard response at this point is to wait for more information. If the plane had crashed in Florida near where he was, THEN they might have whisked him out of the room, guns drawn. The Secret Service responded exactly how they should have. A plane crashed in NY, there was no immediate threat to the President that they knew of, so they waited to see what developed. When the second plnae hit, and they knew that it wasn't an accident, and there were more planes that were taken, they got him out of the area.

[edit on 4/22/2006 by Zaphod58]

"Chief of Staff Andrew Card came over and whispered in Bush's ear, "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."

So what's this about them thinking it was an accident Zaphod?

Sounds like he new exactly what was going on eh?

Notice when he said it Anok. After the SECOND plane hit. When the FIRST plane hit, everyone thought "Oh my god, some idiot just flew into the Trade Center!" Including the Secret Service. Once the second plane hit, then yes, THEN we knew it was an attack.

Edit- By "we" I mean the United States in general btw.

[edit on 4/22/2006 by Zaphod58]

the point is after the second plane hit, he sat there all that time. when the second plane hit, there was still a lot of aircraft in the sky and i would imagine around the florida area as well.

so, sitting in the place that he is publicly known to be at, not only is a threat to him, but it's a threat to everyone at the school. he didn't even leave right after he was done with the book, he made an announcment to the press from there.

Zaphod, the important delay was after he was informed of the 2nd plane hitting. That's the whole problem. Why wasn't he whisked away then? I've heard he didn't even leave the classroom for the better part of 10 minutes or so, and then he even hung around the school for a while longer, and eventually left, at 9:25 AM. Bush was informed by Card of WTC2 at 9:07 AM. Where is this kind of delay in SS SOP?

Btw, I've also read that Cheney, from his bunker, to which he was promptly whisked away to, there was access to a range of agencies, including the SS. Sounds like they had everything under control, and just had no reason to be protecting the president.

[edit on 22-4-2006 by bsbray11]

Originally posted by Zaphod58
Notice when he said it Anok. After the SECOND plane hit. When the FIRST plane hit, everyone thought "Oh my god, some idiot just flew into the Trade Center!"

LOL I thought we were talking about the bush mans reaction in the classroom?

What are you talking about?

Bottom line is, what could have been done, by Bush, in those few moments that would have changed 9/11

As far as your carjacking analogy, it doesn't fit. Nice try though. What was the immediate need to move the president. I mean, first thing you want to do is make sure the school is secure. Did you ever think that maybe they weresecuring the area, and making sure there wasn't a few guys 500 yards downwind waiting for Bush to come out?

Whats all this talk about accident the President and his cabinet were warned weeks in advance that "terrorists" were planning to use commercials planes to attack buildings.

Its like this, I say to you "I'm going to cut your dogs head off", and three weeks later you find your dogs head on your front porch with no body, and then I tell you "must have been an accident"..looks to me some of the sheep amongst us would shrug their shoulders and say "Ya, Baaaahd Accident". Doh!

By the way the day that airplane took a dive into the White House was September 11 2000, it was obviously a test run for things to come, perhaps in the event the election theft didn't go through as planned that November and they needed to remove Gore. You'll note that little factoid rarely surfaces in all the media coverage of 9/11, its like media enforced amnesia.

Claiming that everyone thought it was an accident, after this exact attack had already appear on a TV pilot, the president was warned, the FBI agents joking that the Bush Adminstration was working for Al-Qaeda because they refused to investigate the pilots, and a host of other bits and pieces, is pure 100% no water added concentrated ignorance, so dense that not even light can escape its gravitational pull.

Why didn't they whisk Bush away? Because when a government attacks its own citizens, its fairly secure in the knowledge that one of the colloborators in the crime is not a target of the crime. You can't have a puppet show without the puppet.