Apology for 9/11?

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REPORTERS QUIZ BUSH Bush answers questions about Iraq and 9/11   • Introduction  • Comparing Iraq to Vietnam  • More troops in Iraq?  • Personal responsibility for 9/11  • August 6, 2001, briefing  • Apology for 9/11?  • Coalition as window dressing?  • Going with Cheney to 9/11 commission  • Was going to war worth it?

QUESTION: Two weeks ago, a former counterterrorism official at the NSC [National Security Council], Richard Clarke, offered an unequivocal apology to the American people for failing them prior to 9/11. Do you believe the American people deserve a similar apology from you, and would you prepared to give them one?

BUSH: Look, I can understand why people in my administration are anguished over the fact that people lost their life. I feel the same way. I mean, I'm sick when I think about the death that took place on that day. And as I mentioned, I've met with a lot of family members, and I do the best to console them about the loss of their loved one.

As I mentioned, I often times think about what I could have done differently. I can assure the American people that had we had any inkling that this was going to happen, we would have done everything in our power to stop the attack.

Here's what I feel about that: The person responsible for the attacks was Osama bin Laden.

That's who's responsible for killing Americans. And that's why we will stay on the offense until we bring people to justice.

Coalition as window dressing? >>

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