Following
his departure from Sarasota, Florida, it was expected the President George W.
Bush was returning to Washington, D.C. Instead, reporters onboard Air Force
One were ordered not to even turn their cell phones on to prevent tracking.
They were also advised that they would be climbing to 40,000 feet and would
be escorted by jets.
Unknown to them and the rest of the country, a debate was taking place. President
Bush's political advisors wanted him to return to Washington as a show of leadership,
while the Secret Service wanted him to stay away, because it was still unsafe.
Bush ordered the plane to land at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The press pool were not allowed to make phone calls until locals noticed the
plane on the runway. Nearly an hour after arriving, President Bush made his
second statement of the day.
After departing from Barksdale, the debate continued. The Secret Service wanted
him to fly to Colorado Springs where NORAD's underground bunker was located,
while his political advisors were saying that he was looking weak, especially
while Vice President Dick Chaney was still in Washington. By this time, the
national news networks had started criticizing Bush for not being at the White
House.
At mid-afternoon, President Bush landed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska,
where the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command are located. Finally, at
nearly five o'clock, President Bush departed for Washington. Information on
his arrival in the Washington area was kept secret and he arrived at the White
House just before 7:00 P.M. President Bush and the Secret Service were vindicated
about 24 hours later, when it was announced that legitimate intelligence had
indicated that Air Force One was a target.
