Bush ``May God Bless U.S``

The terrified 11th was the longest and the most painful day for President George W. Bush, undergoing the worst terrorist attacks on Washington and the world`s economic capital New York that never happened before.

Bewildered by the terror news at Florida, President Bush regained the composure and returned to the White House to control the devastated situation.

In previous day, President Bush met his younger brother Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at Florida. It was a visit to encourage his brother since former Justice Secretary Jack Leno declared to run for next year`s governor election. President played golf in the morning of 11th.

President Bush first heard the terrorist attacks during he was giving a speech on education reform at an elementary school in Sarasota. It was 20 minutes later since the first plane collided into the World Trade Center. He immediately announced the news via broadcasting, and summoned the national security meeting.

After presiding the remote national security meeting, President Bush ordered U.S. military forces at home and abroad to be placed on their highest state of alert, and declared the countermeasures to hunt down and punish those responsible, and to rescue the victims. And he headed to the White House.

However, the presidential aides maintained to change the destination of Air Force One to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana for security reasons, because the Pentagon was attacked and a hijacked United Airline plane was flying in the skies of Pittsburgh near the White House.

Thus, President Bush had to announce a statement for the nation in the air base. A foreign news agency from Washington reported, ``Overwhelmed by the drastic terrorism, he sometimes looked perplexed while he was announcing the statement.`` And he moved to the Strategic Air Force Headquarters in Nebraska following the national emergency security plan.

President Bush, on the one hand, requested the heads of the House and the Congress to cope with this tragedy beyond the party interests, and on the other hand continued to discuss the countermeasures with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It was 7 o`clock pm on 11th that he returned to the White House. He landed on the heliport of the White House, guarded by 6 helicopters of Marine Corps. And President Bush announced the statement to the nation at 8: 30 pm. He finished the speech with a prayer ``May God bless the United States!``

Kwon Ki-Tae kkt@donga.com