Former President George W. Bush reflected on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, warning that the United States risks forgetting the lessons of that day. Speaking at his presidential library in Dallas alongside former national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Bush said the nation has sometimes fallen into "isolationist periods," where Americans focus only on domestic issues and ignore what happens abroad. He argued that such a mindset ignores the fact that international events directly affect national security. "What happens overseas matters to our national security at home," Bush said, emphasizing that the U.S. should remain engaged in global affairs to support those fighting for freedom. Bush acknowledged the long-term impact of the Sept. 11 attacks, which led to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and a two-decade-long military presence there. He expressed disagreement with those who claim people in Afghanistan don’t understand the value of freedom. "Of course they know the difference," he said, citing the progress of young women in education and careers. He lamented that many of these women no longer have the chance to fully realize their potential after the U.S. withdrew in 2021 and the Taliban regained control. Bush recalled the moment he became a wartime president, when his chief of staff informed him of the attacks while he was visiting an elementary school on Sept. 11, 2001. He described the intense pressure of the days that followed, including the emergency orders to land all civilian planes or risk them being shot down. Rice shared how the government was forced to make difficult decisions under extreme uncertainty, including the fear that a civilian plane might have been shot down. In reality, Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against hijackers. Reflecting on the aftermath of the attacks, Bush said he visited Ground Zero in New York shortly after the attacks and emphasized the importance of helping the nation heal while defending its freedoms. He also recalled visiting a mosque in Michigan to address concerns about discrimination and harassment against Muslim women. Bush described the post-9/11 period as a time when the U.S. had to shift to a "Sept. 12" mentality, focusing on preventing future attacks rather than just responding to them. Rice noted that the gravity of those early days is often misunderstood today.