Eyes. Its the story of rapid action with ongoing consequences. The desperation in afghanistan today, the withdrawal of american troops, the return to power of the taliban, it all began with a decision immediately after the 9 11 attacks to respond with war. Well show you through the lens of the Nbc News archives how america went from a quiet week in September 2001 to a Military Footing that would last for 20 years. Along the way, well hear from a veteran of afghanistan and iraq, now Congressman Jason Crow and well ask him the question that used to be almost taboo. Was the decision to invade afghanistan made in too much haste . Did we rush into war . Our story begins on september 10, 2001. When President George W. Bush used his Fighting Words for an altogether peaceful cause against a very different enemy. There are too many of our Kids In America who cant read today. Maybe not in this school, but around the nation there is just too many. And now its time to wage war on illiteracy for the young and to whip this problem early. The next Morning President biden continued his Education Tour in florida, where his Brother Jeb was governor. It was september 11th, 2001. The president at a sarasota, florida Elementary School, about to begin a Reading Event gets first words shortly after 9 00 a. M. And n a Phone Call from his national Security Adviser. One plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. Minutes later, chief of Staff Andrew Card leans over and whispers in the president s ear. The reaction on bushs face the first sign of more horrifying news. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, this is a difficult moment for america. I unfortunately the governor will take the podium and discuss education. I do want to thank the folks here at the booker Elementary School for their hospitality. Today weve had a national tragedy. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terroristic attack on our country. I have spoken to the Vice President to the governor of New York, to the director of the fbi, and have ordered that the full Resources Telephone federal government will go to help the victims and their families and to conduct a fullscale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who committed this act. Terrorism against our nation will not stand. And now if you join me in a moment of silence. May god bless the victims, their families and america. Thank you very much. As bush speaks, chaos at the white house. Staff and press are ordered to evacuate. People run from their offices across pennsylvania avenue. Crowds pour into the streets as buildings nearby are evacuated. People gather around Car Radios for any information. Fire engines blazed towards the white house. Shortly after 9 30 a. M. , the president s national Security Team is in the situation room, a secure Communications Center in the basement of the west wing. Vice president Dick Cheney is there along with national Security Adviser condoleezza rice. Meanwhile, the president leaves florida. His destination at takeoff a secret. We later learned he has landed at Louisianas Barksdale Air force base. There he pledges the u. S. Will retaliate. Make no mistake, the united states will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts. A rare and welcome bipartisan gathering of the republican and democratic leadership of the united States Senate and the House Of Representatives. Land that i love, stand beside her and guide her this is wild. Through the night with the light from above from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with Foam God bless america, my Home Sweet Home God bless america, my Home Sweet home [ applause ] on the steps of the u. S. Capitol, men and women, black, white, and asian, conservatives and liberals and independents from all corners of this country, the spontaneous demonstration of unity, a declaration of support for the President Of The United States, and a very important symbolic message to be sending around the world and to this country at this hour. Just hours into the crisis, president biden set the blueprint for what would become a 20year war. America would make no distinction between the terrorists and those who harbored them. The search is under way for those who are behind these evil acts. Ive directed the full resources of our Intelligence And Law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. At the time, future Congressman Jason Crow was a College Student in wisconsin. He had spent four years in the national guard and at school he had signed up for rotc. I was actually getting ready for classes that morning. I had made my coffee and my breakfast, and turned on the news like i always did, went to campus and to my classes and saw the planes hitting the buildings and just was watching in horror like the rest of the country was. And at that time, i had no idea, no idea that that was going to completely change the trajectory of my life, take me in a very different direction at the time. But that did end up happening and it moved pretty fast. When you saw the explosions, did you feel anger . Did you feel resentment, fear, anxiety . All those things that people did . I was angry, primarily. I was angry. I was shocked. I asked myself how could this happen. There was a loss of innocence i think that we all kind of encountered that day. It was here at our doors. It was in our country. But anger mostly, watching the videos of people jumping out of that building to avoid being burned. I was mad, and i wanted to do something about it. Millions of americans felt that same combination of anger and shock. But the decision about what to do in response would come from congress and a president just nine months into his term. This battle will take time and resolve, but make no mistake about it, we will win. Three days after the terror attacks, american leaders gathered for a day of Prayer And Remembrance at the national cathedral in washington, d. C. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing. And every generation the world has produced enemies of human freedom. They have attacked america. Because we are Freedoms Home and defender and the commitment of our fathers is now the calling of our time. Usa, usa thank you, all. Lets go get them i want you all to know it cant good any louder. I want you all to know that America Today, America Today is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, for the families who mourn. This nation stands with the good people of New York city. And new Jersey And Connecticut as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens. We cant hear you. I can hear you i can hear you. The rest of the world hears you, and the people [ cheering ] and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. [ cheering ] usa usa usa we will not waver. We will not tire we will not falter, and we will not fail. Dont settle for silver 1 for diabetic dry skin 1 for Psoriasis Symptom Relief and 1 for eczema Symptom Relief Gold Bond Champion your skin this is how you become the best youre the best by Joe Esposito [triumphantly yells] [ding] dont get mad. Get e trade. We did it again. Verizon has been named americas most reliable network by rootmetrics. 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The nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, best sleep with a cold, medicine. These people are just standing around, writing different messages, walking around with very sad looks on their faces and hugging, embracing, and just not knowing exactly what to do or what to say. This seems like the only way we can deal with it is to write it down. And as soon as you start writing, and you see everybody else coming together, it just brings the community together, and we can all see it together. Because its unbearable. You cant even believe what happened. Saying all that is very difficult for you . Yeah. Just reading all of the different things that the people said, all of the different thoughts and everything. You kind of get an insight into what other people, you know, thoughts and feelings are. Its very emotional. You had just heard the voices of people gathered in Union Square in New York city, not far from ground zero. You can hear their pain, even across all these years. You can hear them wondering what ought to be said or done. For most americans in those early weeks, the answer was war. For most politicians, the answer was war, but war was not the answer for everyone. Were going to take you now to the halls of congress where lawmakers voted on whether to authorize the president to use Military Force. That vote happened on september 14th, just three days after the attacks. The House Of Representatives voted 4201 to give President Bush the authority to use all necessary and appropriate force against the terrorists. The only member of the u. S. Congress to vote against the resolution was representative Barbara Lee, california, democrat. Mr. Speaker, i rise today with a very heavy heart, one that is filled with sorrow for the families and the Loved Ones who were killed and injured this week. Only the most foolish and the most callous would not understand the grief that has really gripped our people and millions across the world. This unspeakable act on the united states has really forced me, however, to rely on my moral compass, my conscience, and my god for direction. September 11th changed the world. Our deepest fears now haunt us, yet i am con finished that Military Action will not prevent further acts of international terrorism against the united states. This is a very complex and complicated matter. Now this resolution will pass, although we all know that the president can wage a war, even without it. However difficult this vote may be, some of us must urge the use of restraint. Our country is in a state of mourning. Some of us must say lets step back for a moment. Lets just pause, just for a minute and think through the implications of our Actions Today so that this does not spiral out of control. Now i have agonized over this vote, but i came to grips with it today, and i came to grips with opposing this resolution during the very painful yet very beautiful memorial service. As a member of the clergy so eloquently said, as we act, let us not become the evil that we deplore. Congresswoman Barbara Lee of california would be the only member of the House Or Senate to say no. She was the only lawmaker who believed the greater threat was an american response that went out of control. President bush would go on to sign the authorization for use of Military Force on september 18th, exactly one week after the attacks. We will pursue nations that provide aid or Safe Haven to terrorism. Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either youre with us or you are with the terrorists. Good afternoon, everyone. It does now appear that united States Military action against targets in afghanistan with that action is under way. Missile explosions light up the nighttime skies. Antiaircraft tracers streak over the capital city kabul. The first wave, 50 Tomahawk Cruise missiles like these. 25 warplanes off the Carl Vincent and enterprise launched strikes from the indian ocean, and longrange bombers dropping precisionguided weapons, B Firefighter 52s, b1s, and these two b2 Stealth Bombers seen here early this morning at whiteman Air Force Base in missouri, flying more than 10,000 miles in 14 hours to drop their bombs. At the pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announces the Shooting War against terrorism is on. The only way to deal with these Terrorist Threats is to go at them where they exist. The targets . The taliban military, Air Defense systems commanding bunker, Air Fields and bunkers around kabul, jalalabad and kandahar. Also, Terrorist Training Camps of Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terrorist network. So to bring you quickly up to date, its now coming up on 1 00 eastern time in afghanistan because of the time differences. It is 9 30 there, and a major attack is under way by u. S. Military forces. Were about to get the details on all of that from the President Of The United States who returned from Camp David earlier. Hell be addressing the nation from the Oval Office in his capacity as the Chief Executive of this country, but also as the commander in chief of all u. S. Armed forces. And as we have been saying, he is also expected to talk good afternoon. On my orders, the united States Military has begun strikes against the Al Qaeda Terrorist Training Camps and military installations of the Taliban Regime in afghanistan. These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of afghanistan as a Terrorist Base of operations and to attack the Military Capability of the Taliban Regime. The battle is now joined on many fronts. We will not waiver. We will not tire. We will not falter, and we will not fail. Peace and freedom will prevail. Thank you. May god continue to bless america. After 9 11, President George W. Bush came to start not one but two wars. The War In Afghanistan followed by the war in iraq. Young Jason Crow wound up serving in both of them, although he was motived to take on active duty by 9 11, he was sent first to iraq. Today Jason Crow is one of several combat veterans from the post9 11 wars who are now serving in the House Or Senate. He talked with us about how he sees those wars now in hindsight as a member of congress. My Military Career started with iraq. I wasnt thinking about afghanistan, which of course it had already been happening. But what i now realize looking back is our focus on iraq and how that was the sole focus for really the rest of that decade. We lost that attention, we lost that focus in afghanistan. Afghanistan was just on cruise control, and there were missed opportunities. There were missteps. And had we stayed focused on afghanistan, i dont know whether it may have changed the end result, but certainly could have helped us be in a much better position. If you and i could go back and talk to george w. Bush and members of congress a week after the attacks of 9 11, which is when he signed the authorization, as you know, to use force in the middle east, what would we tell him given what we know now . Yeah, i agree that we should have gone into afghanistan 2001 to go after those who attacked our homeland. I think at the time that that was a right and just and necessary mission and i continue to think that. Now after that additional mission was accomplished and after we killed Osama Bin Laden and prevented Al Qaeda from using it as a Launching Pad for attacks against the u. S. And u. S. Citizens, that mission morphed and changed into nation building, trying to impose an american Style Democracy on a culture and a people and a place that doesnt have a history of that. Right. And thats the larger debate is should we ever be doing that, right. Is that something that is worth our blood, sweat and treasure. And i think thats a debate we absolutely need to have. And we need to have it soon, because we just cant afford to do this again. Looking at this with 20 years hindsight, did we rush to war . Was a week enough time to consider all the issues and all the possibilities of what might happen . Well, looking at it with the 20 years of hindsight, its much easier than youre in The Fog Of War and mix. Thats why its so much easier to be a historian. Its true. I can tell you one thing. 23yearold Jason Crow didnt know what an Authorization Use of Military Force was, but i knew i wanted to be a part of Military Response and to defend our country. And i dont think i was alone in that. But now looking at it with hindsight and in different perspective and as a member of congress and actually has to be a part of those debate, yeah, i think its probably fair to say that there should have been more debate about the guardrails. If we had the debate and we make this decision that the american people support, then were actually far more powerful in response that we decide to make. We have much more will and public support for it. And our adversaries should be afraid of that, because they should know that when the american people come together around something, its very hard to stop us. But we have to put the mechanisms in place to have that discussion to create that consensus to act together. We can hope for an outcome like that. We can hope that Hindsight And Perspective will play a role in our most important debates. Thats what history is supposed to do for us. We can see through history that each of us who experienced 9 11 was changed by it. 9 11 changed our world so that even if you werent there, your life is different because of it. The war that came so quickly afterwards will be with us in its consequences for years to come. Maybe for generations. How long does it take for an event to take its place in history, for us to understand its meaning . Maybe that depends on where you were sitting. Im michael beschloss. Thank you for watching fireside history. T its mostly water. So, we switched back to tide. One wash, stains are gone. [daughter] slurping dont pay for water. Pay for clean. Its got to be tide. 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