John Abizaid Oral History

Al-Qaeda launches terrorist attacks against the U.S. on the 11th. Lt. General John Abizaid is overseas in Ukraine at the time of the attacks.

On the 12th, Abizaid returns to the U.S. with a group of Pentagon personnel that includes Doug Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy, J.D. Crouch, assistant secretary of defense for international policy, Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, and William Luti, Rodman’s deputy for Near East and South Asia affairs.

Abizaid sends Brig. General Kevin Chilton to Pakistan to negotiate overflight permission through Pakistani air space and to Uzbekistan to negotiate rights to a U.S. air base.

At a National Security Council (NSC) meeting at Camp David on the 15th, Bush decides to focus the immediate U.S. response to 9/11 on those directly responsible for the terrorist attacks, al-Qaeda and the Taliban.