D.C. 9/11: TIME OF CRISIS

On September 11, 2001, the American people, wracked with fear, watched the horrific events unfold. But what happened—the decisions, the deliberations, the strategies—in the private quarters of Washington, D.C. is revealed from a perspective that will truly open your eyes.

It’s the second plane diving into the south tower of the World Trade Centre that sends an unmistakable message to Chief of Staff Andy Card. At his urging, President George W. Bush (Golden Globe nominee Timothy Bottoms, The Last Picture Show) returns to Washington from Florida amid rumours that the Supreme Court and the Capitol have also been destroyed. Then comes a threat to Air Force One through military intelligence. The plane’s code word of the day, Angel, gives it terrifying credibility. Secret Service hustles Vice President Dick Cheney (Lawrence Pressman, American Pie) and National Security Agent Condoleeza Rice (Penny Johnson Jerald, 24) into a secret bunker buried deep beneath the White House. Moments later, reports of a rogue aircraft heading toward Washington are confirmed. President Bush orders that it be shot down, only to learn that the innocent passengers aboard have already sacrificed their lives for the country.

From his secure bunker in Louisiana, President Bush delivers a speech in an effort to quell the panic. Amid dread, fear, incomprehension, and courage, the American Heads of State will be called upon to act in ways virtually unknown to the contemporary leaders of the citizens of the United States. In the next few days, the President will formulate a new doctrine on terrorists; Secretary of State Colin Powell (David Fonteno, Analyze That) will form an anti-terror coalition; and Karl Rove (Allan Royal, Falcon Crest), the President’s political advisor, will lay out an aggressive program of retaliation—part overt, part covert, part bribery, part assassination—that he guarantees will smoke the enemies out of hiding.

By September 14, 2001, President Bush makes an impassioned speech, outlining his strategy to the American people and urging the nation to regain its resolve with a reminder that what lies ahead is like nothing the United States has encountered before. The war has begun.