Condoleezza Rice Expresses ‘Deep Personal Remorse’ to 9/11 Families Over Failure to Prevent Attacks

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed profound regret Friday over the government’s failure to prevent the September 11 terrorist attacks, telling victims’ families that she continues to carry personal remorse 25 years later.

Rice, who served as President George W. Bush’s national security adviser on Sept. 11, 2001, delivered the remarks during the anniversary ceremony at the Pentagon. She acknowledged that senior officials failed to recognize the nature of the threat in enough time to stop the attacks.

“We did what we knew to do, but by definition, it was not enough,” Rice said. She then addressed the families directly, saying she would always carry “deep personal remorse” for the pain they continue to endure and for the trauma inflicted on the country.

Rice recalled being in her White House office when an aide informed her that an aircraft had struck the World Trade Center. She initially believed it was a terrible accident and contacted Bush, who was visiting an elementary school in Florida at the time. That perception changed when a second hijacked plane struck the South Tower 17 minutes later.

Rice said she remembered looking at a television screen in horror as it became clear that the United States was under attack. She later joined Vice President Dick Cheney and other senior officials inside a secure White House bunker as the crisis unfolded.

The attacks ultimately killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. At the Pentagon, 184 people were killed when American Airlines Flight 77 was deliberately crashed into the building.

In the years following the attacks, Rice faced scrutiny over whether the Bush administration had received sufficient warnings about al Qaeda before 9/11. She later testified before the 9/11 Commission that officials understood al Qaeda posed a serious threat but lacked sufficiently specific, actionable intelligence to identify and prevent the plot.

Rice also expressed gratitude that the country did not experience another attack on the scale of 9/11 in the immediate years that followed. She credited members of the military and intelligence community for their work and sacrifices during the subsequent war on terrorism.

Her remarks came as Americans gathered across the country to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Ceremonies were held at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania, with victims’ relatives, survivors, first responders and national leaders remembering those who were killed.

Rice concluded by reflecting on the country’s response to the tragedy and the resilience demonstrated in its aftermath. She said September 11 tested the United States but did not break it, expressing hope that the nation could draw on that experience while confronting challenges in the future.