by According to David Sherzer, spokesman for former President George Bush, Bush politely declined an invitation by President Barak Obama to join him on Thursday at Ground Zero to officially mark the demise of Osama bin Laden.
Prefers to Stay Out of Limelight
“President Bush appreciated the invite, but has chosen in his post-presidency to remain largely out of the spotlight,” Sherzer explained. “He continues to celebrate with all Americans this important victory in the war on terror.”
Obama invited Bush shortly after the decision was made for the president to travel to New York in order to hold an official event at the site of the worst terrorist attack in US history. In the past Obama has been highly critical of Bush for not focusing enough on hunting down bin Laden and instead invading Iraq. Bush congratulated Obama shortly after the news was disseminated about the demise of bin Laden.
Ceremony Thursday in New York
The tracking down and killing of bin Laden will be marked at the site of New York’s Twin Towers on Thursday. The Towers were destroyed in an attack on September 11th 2000 which was masterminded by bin Laden. The ultra-terrorist and head of al-Qaeda was killed in a courageous raid by an elite force of US Navy Seals on his top secret hideout near Islamabad on Sunday. When the news of bin Laden’s death was announced to the American people thousands gathered in New York and in Washington, DC to celebrate the fact that the orchestrator of the deaths of nearly 3,000 people in attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a downed airliner in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, had finally been apprehended and dealt with justly.
First Visit Since Presidential Campaign in 2008
The visit to Ground Zero, which is how the site of the New York attack is often referred to, will be Obama’s first since his election campaign in 2008. Obama will meet with several family members of some of the victims of the attacks, the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, and other city officials.Bush is planning on attending the 10th anniversary commemoration ceremony of the attack, which will take place on September 11th, 2011, according to spokesman Sherzer. Almost ten years ago President Bush visited the site only days after the attack. As he stood by the smoking ruins of the World Trade Center, Bush grabbed a bullhorn and swore that the US would avenge the horrible attacks.Now that day has arrived.
