Bush aide Andy Card increased security after Tony Blair 'joke'

President George W Bush’s most senior aide was forced to drastically increase his security soon after the September 11 attacks because Tony Blair joked that he was an al-Qaeda target, he has disclosed.

Andrew Card became internationally renowned when he was photographed in a Florida classroom whispering into the president’s ear that United Flight 175 had struck the World Trade Centre in New York.

But thanks to Mr Blair, the photograph also had a less well-known impact nine days after the attacks, which Mr Card described publicly for the first time during in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

“He said: ’Andy, it’s so good to see you. You’re a marked man. You’re a target for every terrorist out there. They use that picture of you whispering to the president as target practice’.” Mr Card said Mr Blair appeared to be joking that he had received this information from British security officials. But it was taken absolutely seriously by their American counterparts.....