Investigate The Non-Evacuation of Booker Elementary School

May 6, 2002

Dear Senator Akaka,

I would like to see an investigation into why the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida was not evacuated on the morning of September 11, 2001. Why were those children and the President exposed to an unprecedented threat yet nothing was done?

ABC journalist John Cochran was traveling with the President. He reported on ABC TV on Tuesday morning (Sept 11th):

"Peter, as you know, the president's down in Florida talking about
education. He got out of his hotel suite this morning, was about to leave, reporters saw the White House chief of staff, Andy Card, whisper into his ear. The reporter said to the president, 'Do you know what's going on in New York?' He said he did, and he said he will have something about it later. His first event is about half an hour at an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida." Quoted from ABC transcripts available at their web site.

Clearly President Bush and the Secret Service are aware that the first plane had hit the WTC, however it was reported that they believed that it was a small plane and proceeded to the Booker School.

Mr. Card came into the classroom at 9:05 to inform President Bush that
"America is under attack" because a second plane had struck the WTC.
President Bush looked solemn for a minute then - amazingly - continued on with the discussion about pet goats with the students. This was widely reported, however a search on Associated Press for Sonya Ross will turn up a relevant document as she was covering the President that morning.

I specifically want to know why the Secret Service did not immediately secure the President and remove him from danger and why the school was not evacuated thereby putting hundreds of children into harm's way. At the time of the second plane crashed into the WTC there was no way of knowing how many other planes or incidents were involved. There could have been none, a few or even hundreds more involved - there simply was no way of knowing. The president's visit to that school was a widely publicized event. That school was a potential target.

It was a gross dereliction of their sworn duty for the Secret Service to not remove the President from the school at 9:05. I don't even know what to call the threat to those hundreds of children. I would like to know when these Secret Service personnel will be reprimanded.

One can certainly argue now that the President and the children were safe because nothing happened, but at that time, at 9:05 AM on September 11th there was no way of knowing. I really want to know why the school was not evacuated. It has always been my understanding that the Secret Service's sole responsibility is to protect the President - giving their own lives, if necessary, to protect him. What happened on September 11th? Why did they not lift a finger to get him out of that school?

Why were those children left in harm's way?

Ari Fleischer, Bush's press secretary clearly stated on September 12th that Air Force One was in fact a target. This was later disproved, however the country was lead to believe that the President was a target on September 11th. I want to know why the Secret Service did not protect the President or the children of Emma E. Booker Elementary School.

Thank you for your prompt attention into this matter.

Linda Kekumu
Pahoa HI

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