Bush’s Most Elusive Target
In talking about his pursuit of Osama bin Laden, his tone went from resolve to regret.
George W. Bush (Khue Bui for Newsweek)
SEPT. 17, 2001, SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS
“I want justice…there’s an old poster out west, as I recall, that said ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive.’?”
SEPT. 20, 2001, IN AN ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
“Our war on terror begins with Al Qaeda, but it…will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated.”
DEC. 28, 2001, AT HIS RANCH
“He is not escaping us. I mean, this is a guy who three months ago was in control of a country. Now he’s maybe in control of a cave…We’re going to get him running, and keep him running, and bring him to justice. And that’s what’s happening.”
SEPT. 5, 2006, IN A SPEECH
“Bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as Lenin and Hitler before him...We’re taking the words of the enemy seriously…We will not rest, we will not retreat, and we will not withdraw from the fight until this threat to civilization has been removed.”
NOVEMBER 2010, IN HIS BOOK DECISION POINTS
“I wanted badly to bring bin Laden to justice. The fact that we did not ranks among my great regrets.”’
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