entered the underground tunnel leading to the shelter at 9:37.
asked to speak to the President, but it took time for the call to be connected.
He learned in the tunnel that the Pentagon had been hit, and he saw televi-
sion coverage of smoke coming from the building.
notes, at 9:55 the Vice President was still on the phone with the President advis-
ing that three planes were missing and one had hit the Pentagon. We believe
this is the same call in which the Vice President urged the President not to
return to Washington. After the call ended, Mrs. Cheney and the Vice Presi-
dent moved from the tunnel to the shelter conference room.
On the morning of 9/11, the President and Vice President stayed in contact
not by an open line of communication but through a series of calls.The Pres-
ident told us he was frustrated with the poor communications that morning.
He could not reach key officials, including Secretary Rumsfeld, for a period of
time.The line to the White House shelter conference room--and the Vice Pres-
ident--kept cutting off.
when the Vice President arrived in the shelter conference room.We have con-
cluded, from the available evidence, that the Vice President arrived in the room
shortly before 10:00, perhaps at 9:58.The Vice President recalled being told, just
after his arrival, that the Air Force was trying to establish a combat air patrol
over Washington.
the CAP unless the pilots had instructions on whether they were authorized
to shoot if the plane would not divert. He said the President signed off on that
concept. The President said he remembered such a conversation, and that it
reminded him of when he had been an interceptor pilot.The President empha-
sized to us that he had authorized the shootdown of hijacked aircraft.
hear what they said. Rice, who entered the room shortly after the Vice Presi-
dent and sat next to him, remembered hearing him inform the President,"Sir,
the CAPs are up. Sir, they're going to want to know what to do." Then she
recalled hearing him say, "Yes sir." She believed this conversation occurred a
few minutes, perhaps five, after they entered the conference room.