The President of the United States during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was George W. Bush. He was in office at the time and led the national response to the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. President Bush took decisive action to protect the country, initiated the Global War on Terror, and launched military operations in Afghanistan against al Qaeda and the Taliban, who were responsible for harboring the terrorists. His leadership during this crisis significantly shaped his presidency and U.S. national security policy