Disruption by Aki J. Peritz

Author:Aki J. Peritz [Peritz, Aki J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: POL037000 Political Science / Terrorism
Publisher: Potomac Books

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On the day Ali, Sarwar, and Gulzar crammed into the Vauxhall Vectra to discuss next steps, President Bush and Prime Minister Blair spoke at length about the best time to take down the cell.12

Despite their different political orientation, the two leaders were personally fond of each other.13 They talked all the time; Blair had been the first head of state Bush called on September 12, 2001, and Bush viewed theirs as the closest friendship he had formed with any foreign leader.14 Blair felt similarly close to Bush. Still, the fundamental impasse between the two allies remained: America wanted to shut down the conspiracy, while the British wanted to collect more information for the trial.

Bush was laser-focused on counterterrorism and was an enthusiastic and intelligent customer of intelligence. His administration had been defined by 9/11, and he was determined to crush al Qaeda. Oftentimes, according to the White House’s Juan Zarate, he knew the details better than the people briefing him, especially staffers who were new to the issues.15 He could also spot when a staffer didn’t know something. “If you were bullshitting,” the NCTC’s Admiral Scott Redd recalled, “he’d take you down.”16

Twice a day, the president would contact Townsend, asking, “Are you comfortable letting the planes fly?”17 Bush wasn’t micromanaging the process or running a war room; he just wanted to be kept informed if any news broke.18 And, twice a day, after studying the situation and consulting with multiple officials across the U.S. national security community, she and the other principals in Washington told the president that, yes, they should let the carriers fly for another twenty-four hours. She was key to the smooth running of the American system since the president of the United States listened to her and took her counsel. But what also weighed on Bush’s mind was that he knew that he’d be blamed if another devastating attack occurred on American soil or against American interests on his watch.

“It’s not the easy thing,” Townsend later recalled, “but we’re going to try to do the hard thing and make the hard decision.” Then again, she said, “If you make the wrong one, then thousands might die.”19

And if that happened, “At best we’re going to get fired; at worst we’re going to get indicted.”20

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