30/09/2002 – 07:51:34 Rudolph Giuliani asked US President George Bush three days after the September 11 attacks whether he could personally execute Osama bin Laden if US forces caught him. Pic: AP
Rudolph Giuliani asked US President George Bush three days after the September 11 attacks whether he could personally execute Osama bin Laden if US forces caught him. The revelations by the former New York mayor come in a new book, Leadership, which goes on sale in the US tomorrow. ãI am sure he thought I was just speaking rhetorically,ä Giuliani wrote of the presidentâs reaction. ãBut I was serious. Bin Laden had attacked my city, and as its mayor I had the strong feeling that I was the most appropriate person to do it.ä Giuliani also writes about the fire-fighters who died in the collapse of the World Trade Centreâs twin towers. Many were killed because they ignored orders to evacuate, not because of lapses in training or communications, he said. ãThey were not going to abandon ship,ä the former mayor said. © Thomas Crosbie Media, 2002. I caught this on Google News this morning and thought the whole thing was worthy of reprinting.