"Mission Accomplished," 5 Years Later

Since Bush Declared End To Major Combat Operations In Iraq, Nearly 4,000 U.S. Troops Have Died

(CBS/AP)  It was a picture-perfect moment, made for the TV cameras, in which a military leader stood before heroes and heroines to declare a victory which seemed to come easier than anyone dared hope, in a conflict which was opposed by many friends and foes alike.

May 1 marks the fifth anniversary of President George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech, as heralded by a giant banner strung across the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

After shifting explanations, the White House eventually said the "Mission Accomplished" phrase referred to the carrier's crew completing their 10-month mission, not the military completing its mission in Iraq.

"President Bush is well aware that the banner should have been much more specific and said 'mission accomplished' for these sailors who are on this ship on their mission," White House press secretary Dana Perino said Wednesday. "And we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner. And I recognize that the media is going to play this up again tomorrow, as they do every single year."

After being landed on the deck of the carrier in an S-3B Viking 30 miles off the coast San Diego (Ari Fleischer said the president "could have helicoptered," but "he wanted to see a landing the way aviators see a landing"), Mr. Bush appeared in a flight suit to the cheers of the ship's personnel and the glare of television lights.

Later, he stood at a podium against a patriotic backdrop reading "Mission Accomplished."

To the assembled audience and the world, Mr. Bush said, "Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.

"In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty, and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment - yet it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage - your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other - made this day possible. Because of you, our nation is more secure. Because of you, the tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.

"Tonight, I have a special word for Secretary Rumsfeld, for General Franks, and for all the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States: America is grateful for a job well done."

Five years after that speech, after the meaning of the phrase "mission accomplished" and when is a job truly "done" has been endlessly parsed, and after responsibility for creating and hanging the sign was first denied and later accepted, the White House said Wednesday that President Bush has paid a price for the banner, with its affirmative message becoming a target of mockery and a symbol of U.S. misjudgments and mistakes in the long and costly war - a war in which major combat operations are still being waged.

The president himself didn't exactly say the words "mission accomplished," but that point often gets lost in the feelings over the continuing war, reports CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante.

But while the White House distanced itself from the message soon after the event, Mr. Bush was not averse to repeating it. Speaking to troops in Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar the following month, Mr. Bush said, "America sent you on a mission to remove a grave threat and to liberate an oppressed people, and that mission has been accomplished."

Now in its sixth year, the war in Iraq has claimed the lives of at least 4,058 members of the U.S. military - 3,924 of whom have died since Mr. Bush landed on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed (the true number may never be known, since the Iraqi government does not record tallies of the dead), and millions have been displaced from their homes. And there are currently more U.S. troops in Iraq than there were when the U.S. invaded with a contingent of other coalition forces.

There were intimations within Mr. Bush's speech, not excerpted and repeated as often, that the administration knew it was not about to wash its hands of Iraq any time soon. "The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort," Mr. Bush said. "Our coalition will stay until our work is done. Then we will leave, and we will leave behind a free Iraq."

Mr. Bush, in a speech early this month, repeated the hopeful sentiment stated that day, that "while this war is difficult, it is not endless."

That message may have special meaning for the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, on which their commander-in-chief declared "Mission Accomplished" five long years ago. Their ship has just begun duty in the Persian Gulf, within striking distance of the coast of Iran.

[movie_searcher]

The blood of these people are on the hands of the Lying SOBs Cheney and Bush, their NeoCon cabal, and the complicit spineless Democrats who write the chimp his blank check every year.

__
http://loadingvault.com

[mh4cbs1]

4,060 Dead troops = 5 miles of end to end coffins. Think about it next time you are driving on the highway, visualize for 5 miles the end to end coffins of our troops, each with devastated families.

The coffins of the Iraqis would go on for a COUPLE HUNDRED MILES.

The blood of these people are on the hands of the Lying SOBs Cheney and Bush, their NeoCon cabal, and the complicit spineless Democrats who write the chimp his blank check every year.

JAIL Bush and Cheney! Murderous Thugs!

[mh4cbs1]

4,060 Dead troops = 5 miles of end to end coffins. Think about it next time you are driving on the highway, visualize for 5 miles the end to end coffins of our troops, each with devastated families.

The coffins of the Iraqis would go on for a COUPLE HUNDRED MILES.

The blood of these people are on the hands of the Lying SOBs Cheney and Bush, their NeoCon cabal, and the complicit spineless Democrats who write the chimp his blank check every year.

JAIL Bush and Cheney! Murderous Thugs!

[taotxzen]

Support the Truth

Gates acknowledges mistakes in treatment of troops
Thu May 1, 2008 Reuters
By David Morgan

FORT BLISS, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said the military had made mistakes in treating returning combat troops including in their physical and mental health care and by providing some sub-standard housing.

In a visit to Fort Bliss, Texas, Gates announced a change in government procedures to encourage troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) without fear of losing their security clearances and harming their careers.

The announcement came just a day after closing arguments in a San Francisco federal court case in which veterans allege the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is unable to deal with the growing number of PTSD cases emerging from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

(cont)

[taotxzen]

(cont)

Gates acknowledged not all of the more than 1.5 million military service members who have been deployed overseas have received needed medical treatment and accommodations.

"I know that the department is not perfect and mistakes have been, and will be made. Things happen too slowly," Gates said in a speech to a group of junior officers.

"I share your frustration," he added.

Gates initiated an overhaul of the military''s medical system after a scandal last year at Walter Reed hospital in Washington where soldiers were found living in a building infested with mice, mold and cockroaches and many soldiers were unable to get treatment because of bureaucratic red tape.

[ranger1948]

I wrote to my senators this morning and told them Americans are tired of waiting for change. Bush should be impeached and tried for war crimes. Congress should address the problems here at home. I told them if i do no see action before November then i would be looking for new blood to vote for. I suggest everyone write your senators and tell them how you feel. If they get enough letters then they might do something. You can look up their sites on line and email them your thoughts.

[veteran72]

The Little Chimpenfuhrer knows McBushcain and Hillabush can''t win an election where 80% of Americans are wise to them. Even with all their rigged e-voting equipment and other dirty tricks still in place, the numbers are just too stacked against them.
Since continuation of their Neocon Fascist Nazi Regime can''t be sustained under the guise of a new President, they''ll just pull out the old Rovian Playbook of False Flag Attacks and do it Old School, just like Uncle Adolph.
Presidential Decrees granting total Dictorial Powers
to the Little Nazi, make everything all Neat and Legal, (Although quite Unconstitutional).
Anyone attempting to bring up this point might find
themselves in one of the 600 now operational and totally manned, FEMA Concentration Camps.
6 months till the elections.....
Tick-Tock.....

[veteran72]

In December 2004, President George W. Bush wore a military jacket while addressing the troops in Camp Pendleton.

This is the first time in U.S. history that a president has chosen to wear a uniform while in office. Eisenhower did not wear one, nor did Grant. When those men assumed the office of Commander in Chief, they ceased to be generals, and thenceforth wore civilian clothes, as befits the leaders of a free country. Only where people are not free, only in dictatorships, do leaders wear uniforms.

But now, at last, it has happened in America.

This should not surprise us. On at least three separate occasions, Bush expressed his desire to be a dictator:

"You don''t get everything you want. A dictatorship would be a lot easier." Describing what it''s like to be governor of Texas.(Governing Magazine 7/98)
-- From Paul Begala''s "Is Our Children Learning?"

"I told all four that there are going to be some times where we don''t agree with each other, but that''s OK. If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I''m the dictator," Bush joked.
-- CNN.com, December 18, 2000

"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there''s no question about it, " [Bush] said.
-- Business Week, July 30, 2001

[apprxam]

Right-O, Psy War. The funny thing is none of the lying conservatives ever say oil, no matter its relevance. Sh*t when they speak about Iraq paying their own way, they say things like "revenue" and standin up, so we can stand down.

This venture has been one f*ckin commercial after another. Contracts, pay-offs and marketing. Not only will political scientist will be studying this failure of policy for year, but business schools will be studying it successes for generations. This war''s execution is a business policy, not for democracy or freedom or the fight against tyranny or terrorism.

[apprxam]

RepubliCons today on NPR say that Bush had nothing to do with that sign hangin'' up there. The idiot walks out, looks up and says to himself, "nice sign" and continues to claim victory.

It fun watching RepubliCon fix their f*ckin mouths to explain why five years after victory Americans are still dying, Al Qaeda is getting stronger and we ain''t getting out. Whenever they speak of the surge, Rush, FOX and the NeoClown sound machine almost begs the question concerning its effectiveness.

[kissamaarse]

Want another Bush with a 74% Disapproval rating? Vote John McSame.

[j-whitman]

rharrin1,,,, Man are you ever right on that post...

McBush just committed political suicide in Des Moines, a state tht thrives on farm subsidies & corn.

1st thing he opens up with is his hatred for subsidies - I do not support it. I would veto it," he said. "I would do that because I believe that the subsidies are unnecessary." -
- Then he finished with "And I will open every market in the world to your products, and I will sell them, and I can compete."

He doesn''t stop to think we cannot compete with Central & South America on farm products, let alone China he wasn''t opposed to.

[j-whitman]

jb01201a,,,, Do you ever have anything half way intellegent to say, or do you spend your life hating the vast majority of Ameirca ????

[jb01201a]

Hey miles1967 schmuck, how about www.liberalsarestupid.com or www.liberalslovetaxes.com, might be down your ally.

[miles1967-2009]

What big news! It was ovbious 5 years ago that Bush was full of sh*t.

Watch how McCain will start to slowly distance himself from Bush, even though he has been right along Bush the whole time.

McCain does not have the judgment and patience to lead America. He is an ill-informed, myopic, close-minded man who is easily swayed by the bigoted religious right. Check out the result of his BRILLIANT support of the "Surge", not to mention the fatally wrong idea to go to war with Iraq in the first place, and not actually go after the 9/11 terrorists. Check this link out:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/18722376/the_myth_of_the_surge

[jb01201a]

Hey j-whitman, have you been to you may day celebrations yet ?

[j-whitman]

Read their constitution,,, No law gets passed witout adhearing to Islamic Law

[j-whitman]

Don,,,, I can see you won''t stop planting roses on the problems tonight & spinning everything

I''ll say good night, & catch you later

[donbl1]

J, go look up what Sharia Law entails and it is not the way the Iraqi constitution was written. Most of their current laws are carryover from the period when Bremer was there and they were created.

I have to get some sleep as big day tomorrow.

Talk to you tomorrow.

don

[jb01201a]

Hey j-whitman, which commi rally have you been to today ? I mean its May 1, a day great for your people.