A lot has been said and will no doubt continue to be said about George W Bush's presidency but it's fair to say that these never-before-seen photos show arguably the darkest moments of his tenure.
Bush was of course the man in the White House when the tragic events of 9/11 took place and these photos supplied by Eric Draper Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum show Bush before he had to address the nation.
Credit: Eric Draper Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
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Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon and a crashed hijacked plane in Pennsylvania on September 11th 2001.
Over the years that have followed the former president's initial reaction has been heavily satirised after being featured on Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 9/11.
Many conspiracy theorists will also try and tell you that 'Bush did 9/11.'
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The Mirror described the then-president as looking 'dumbfounded' as he was discreetly informed the country was under attack while reading to children at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida.
Credit: Eric Draper Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Credit: Eric Draper Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
However, these photos that were snapped by his photographer Eric Draper on the day seem to show a different side to the Bush than what the world saw on that day.
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The shots show Bush watching coverage of the attacks unfold aboard Air Force One and addressing the nation via a television address from the Oval Office.
Credit: Eric Draper Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Credit: Eric Draper Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
"Capturing that story was difficult. I had to focus on being in the right place at the right time and push back the emotions that I was feeling to truly capture the story", Draper said in an interview in 2015.
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"Everyone did their job that day and I knew my job was to have a crystal clear focus to document what was in front of me, for others to place it into history."
Credit: Eric Draper Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
In 2011, Bush himself described the events as the defining moments of his often mocked presidency.
He said: "I went from being a president primarily focused on domestic issues, to a wartime president - something I never anticipated, nor something I ever wanted to be."
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Words by Matthew Cooper
Lead Image Credit: PA
Featured Image Credit:Topics: 9/11