This is very important. We know how he found out it was a commercial plane. Because Condi Rice told him. The telephone call referenced here was from Condi Rice. So now the Question is. How did she know? She is the National Security Adviser. But also, why does he lie about it? When asked later he makes up weird stories like this......
In answer to a question from an eight-year-old in Florida, he said his first thought was: "There's one terrible pilot."
This is not considered his finest hour, and the latest comment seems to be further evidence about the sluggishness of his immediate response.
"I saw an airplane hit the tower - the TV was obviously on - and I used to fly myself, and I said, 'There's one terrible pilot.' And I said, 'It must have been a horrible accident.'"
The story that he was watching TV contradicts reports from correspondents at the time that he got the news in a phone call from his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/dec/05/september11.usaOne reason would be so we could all laugh and point out what a goofball he is. It would be better than what I'm about to do.
Condi Rice was National Security Adviser. If terrorist acts are taking place she is to be informed. The FAA and NORAD were informed of hijackings and the taking over of the planes well before they even hit the towers. When did they tell her? Her amazing answer is......never.
Timeline...
8:28 a.m.: The FAA's Boston Center calls FAA Command Center in Herndon, Virginia, and reports that American 11 has been hijacked.
8:37 a.m.: Boston Center informs NORAD of American 11's hijacking. It is the first notice the military receives of the unfolding events.
8:46 a.m.: In response to American 11's hijacking, Otis Air Force Base receives an order to scramble F-15s. Military officials ask for a destination for the fighter planes. None is known. At the same time of the order, American 11 crashes into the World Trade Center North Tower
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/911timeline.htmRice found out the plane that crashed into the tower was a commercial Airliner just as it happened. They didn't get this info from the news. That means it came from another source. The official channels. The official channels were aware of this hijacking due to the flight attendants calling from the plane.
At 8:45 was when the plane hit. There was no news coverage, it just happened.
"Her Secretary appeared at the door at 8:45 am to say that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. What a strange accident. Condi thought. She called President Bush, who was in Florida speaking about his education agenda, and gave him the news. "What a weird accident," he said. Page 193
http://books.google.com/books?id=JALuisF9KdEC&pg=PA193&lpg=PA193&dq=rice+bush+weird+accident&source=bl&ots=L8MPvg7ny5&sig=IJoReqTqYWf_VNHkl8amjvcdTgA&hl=en&ei=HMIDSteSGc-Ltgf1zoSOBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1another book.....
"Condi's executive assistant approached her and told her that a jet airliner had crashed into one of the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Condi's first impression was that it was an accident, and she asked the reporting aide to keep her posted on how many casualties there were and any other relative information. She then called the President who was in Florida. After that she went to a staff meeting. In the middle of the meeting, Condi's executive assistant approached her again with a note that said that a second plane had hit the World Trade Center. That's when she knew it was a terrorist attack." page 472
http://books.google.com/books?id=HrteNHwTnPwC&pg=RA2-PA472&lpg=RA2-PA472&dq=%22condoleezza+rice%22+%22executive+assistant%22&source=bl&ots=Ci57J_HTk1&sig=hEY_VrhcHFuQMbQLuMj80NFMvlM&hl=en&ei=gsUDSu3UGY3YygXmvfXgBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6Confirmed again she's told it's a commercial airliner, from Condi herself...
"I got the first call standing by my desk getting ready to go to an educational event. When the first plane hit the World Trade Center, my assistant came in and said a plane has hit the World Trade Center, and I said what a strange accident. At first I thought it might even have been a small plane, but then he said, "no, it's a commercial plane."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,587744,00.htmlThis is how authorities knew it was a hijacking, and no accident....
I'm the Operations Specialist on duty at the time and
I would say at approximately 8:20, one of our
employees received a phone call from, from a flight
attendant on one of our flights. She answered the
call through our International Resolution Desk who in
turn hit the emergency button and at that time I
started listening on a call. The flight attendant's
name was BETTY ONG and she was relaying to us what
was happening on the aircraft.
http://intelfiles.egoplex.com/2001-09-12-FBI-FD302-betty-ong-tape.pdf