The day after midterms is usually an extremely busy day in the news cycle.
Big stories that might otherwise be on the front pages often fall behind news updates regarding the election results.
The Biden admin clearly has knowledge of this and decided to declassify former President George W. Bush’s and Vice President Dick Cheney’s Oval Office joint interview regarding the 9/11 terrorist attacks one day after election day.
A day after the 2022 Midterms, the US government quietly declassified notes from the 9/11 commission interview with Bush and Cheney. They discussed the infamous "shoot down" order, the "bin Laden determined to strike" memo, "The Pet Goat" story and more. https://t.co/pnYkCu9Ocw
— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) November 10, 2022
The interview that occurred in the Oval Office was conducted by the 9/11 commission and was released by the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel.
There is no bombshell revelation within the newly declassified documents, but it does offer insightful details regarding Bush and Cheney’s moves after the attack took place.
One interesting detail released through the documents is that Cheney took more command than what the general public knew at the time.
Per the Intercept:
Cheney was empowered to effectively take command authority that morning. Bush said he was pressured to get on Air Force One, so he “made some quick remarks and blasted out of there.” Cheney, he recalled, urged him, “Don’t come home.” Cheney “told him that Washington was under attack.”
Newly declassified document details how Dick Cheney was empowered to take command on 9/11, including authority to shoot down civilian planes. Bush said he was pressured to get on Air Force One. Cheney, he recalled, urged him, “Don’t come home.”https://t.co/pnYkCurp44
— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) November 11, 2022
Another eye-opener detail found on page 5 of the 9/11 Commission interview document was a statement from Bush which read, “They heard an aircraft was down in Pennsylvania. The Vice President thought we’d shot it down.”
NEW: Declassified 9/11 Commission interview President Bush, VP Cheney. Pg. 5 As attack unfolded + order given to shoot down unresponsive aircraft, confusion followed. On Flight 93, “They heard an aircraft was down in Pennsylvania. The Vice President thought we’d shot it down. pic.twitter.com/LYJvdRpofd
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) November 10, 2022
The plane Cheney was questioning was Flight 93 which crashed near Shanksville Pennsylvania after passengers stormed the cockpit.
Previously, before Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Bush ordered for planes to be shot down.
