We are getting our first glimpse into what was going on behind closed doors at the White House during and after the chaotic attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The never-before-seen photos document the reaction by former President George W. Bush and his senior staff members after the terror attacks of the Twin Towers and Pentagon.
Hundreds of revealing photos were released on Friday that take you inside the President’s Emergency Operations Center, a secure bunker buried deep beneath the White House. Vice President Dick Cheney can be seen watching smoke billow out of the World Trade Center in his office. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice looks completely distraught at the horrific destruction. The photographs were taken by the vice president’s staff photographer, and show various reactions including Cheney’s wife Lynne, Laura Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and CIA Director George Tenet.
The previously secret photos were made public by the U.S. National Archives in response to a Freedom of Information Act request that was filed by Colette Neirouz Hanna, a coordinating producer for the Kirk Documentary Group. The group has featured the Bush administration in many films for FRONTLINE, including Bush’s War, Cheney’s Law and The Dark Side.
You can see the entire collection of fascinating photos here.