September 11 Commission Report - Gnostic Liberation Front

know the cities on the tour, much less the hotel being stayed at, and the start date, would
definitely require insider knowledge.
Ignoring probabilities, there are over 150 hotels in Sarasota, with possibly five that have a
location on the beach where President Bush would probably take his morning jog. Atta
would have had to have known, in advance, where the President was staying. He also
would have needed advance knowledge of the President’s visit to arrange travel to arrive
in Sarasota on the 7th and meet a co-conspirator. He would also have needed to know the
President’s itinerary for the day, to have ‘coincidentally’ sent a faux news team at 6:00
AM, precisely the time the president was waking. There is too much insight into the
closely guarded plans and schedule of the President to claim all this is coincidence.
• Coincidence that having previously resided in Sarasota, Atta did not stay with friends.
• Coincidence Atta was on the same beach as the President.
• Coincidence Atta was on the President’s probable jogging course on the beach.
• Coincidence that the Presidential morning routine coincided with the news team visit.
• Coincidence that the timing of Atta’s arrival in Sarasota was optimal to cover the
President’s just announced tour schedule.
The Secret Service was aware of an active plot to assassinate the president, and were
taking extra precautions.
• It is public record that the Secret Service set up surface-to air missile defense on the
roof of the hotel, which is not by any means a normal practice for a presidential visit.
• They dissuaded President Bush from jogging on the beach, as was his intent – instead
taking him to a more secure golf club.
• Once the attack on the World Trade Center had occurred and the scope of the attack
was apparent, the President was swept away by the Secret Service. They were in
such fear, they boarded Airforce One and took off with out air protection.
"… incredibly, Air Force One took off without any military fighter protection. This defies all
explanation. Recall that at 9:03 a.m., one of Bush's security people said, "We're out of here. Can
you get everyone ready?" [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/10/02] Certainly, long before Bush left the
elementary school at 9:35 a.m., arrangements would have been made to get fighters to Sarasota."
Maybe there is an argument that suggests that air coverage for Air Force One was not
deemed necessary because acording to some, the President knew of the plans of attack in
advance, and knew he was not in danger. This, however, would imply the entire Secret
Service contingent was equally aware of the plans to attack the WTC, which is a difficult
assumption to grant. Something transpired between the time they left the school and
reached the Airport– something that heightened their need to protect the President, and
created a sense of urgency that did not exist at the school.
11.3 Scenario in the Air
THE SEPTEMBER 11 COMMISSION REPORT Page 263