Mission Accomplished?

[Kooperman]

President Bush and his Democratic Party rivals marked a milestone in the Iraq war today with radio addresses that painted dramatically different portraits of the conduct of the conflict and the prospects for success.

Bush, speaking on the first anniversary of his seminal "mission accomplished" speech on the deck of an aircraft carrier, acknowledged that "many challenges" still exist in Iraq, but he maintained that Iraqis' "daily life is improving" and that a "clear strategy" is being implemented by the U.S.-led occupying coalition.

In rebuttal, the Democratic Party presented a veteran of the Iraq war, an Army reservist named Paul Rieckhoff, who described a lack of planning and preparation for the occupation of Iraq and said he was "disappointed" with Bush's leadership.

"My question for President Bush -- who led the planning of this war so long ago -- is this: When will you take responsibility for the decisions you've made in Iraq and realize that something is wrong with the way things are going?" Rieckhoff asked in his radio address.

"Mr. President, our mission is not accomplished."

A year ago, Bush stood in a flight suit on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, under a huge banner that said, "Mission Accomplished," and declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq. Since then, however, nearly four times as many U.S. troops have been killed in action in Iraq as died during the invasion and capture of Baghdad in March and April 2003. And last month was the deadliest so far, with more than 120 U.S. combat deaths reported.

There have been signs that the mounting violence in Iraq is taking a political toll on President Bush in the United States. But so far, slipping public opinion numbers on his war leadership have not translated into greater support for Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, the presumptive Democratic nominee to run against Bush in the November election.

In his radio address today, Bush recalled that while he had declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq on May 1, 2003, he had also cautioned that "the war against terror would go on."

A year later, "despite many challenges, life for the Iraqi people is a world away from the cruelty and corruption" of the regime of former president Saddam Hussein, Bush said. "And their daily life is improving." He said that in addition to a halt to political imprisonment, torture and mass graves, Iraq now has more widely available electricity, a stable currency, newly renovated schools and clinics and a host of infrastructure projects that are rehabilitating power plants, hospitals and the oil industry.

"On the ground in Iraq, we have serious and continuing challenges," Bush added. "Illegal militias and remnants of the regime, joined by foreign terrorists, are trying to take by force the power they could never gain by the ballot. These groups have found little support among the Iraqi people."

He said the U.S.-led coalition "is implementing a clear strategy in Iraq" that will lead to a transfer of all administrative duties to an interim Iraqi government two months from now. He said that meanwhile, the coalition supports "the efforts of local Iraqis to negotiate the disarmament of the radicals in Fallujah" and that militias in Najaf and elsewhere "must disarm or face grave consequences."

However, Bush warned, "As the transfer of sovereignty approaches on June 30th, we are likely to see more violence from groups opposed to freedom. We will not be intimidated or diverted. On July 1st, and beyond, our reconstruction and military commitment will continue."

He said the families of troops who have died in Iraq "must know that their loss is not in vain." He vowed to "finish our work in Iraq," cautioning, "The failure of Iraqi democracy would embolden terrorists around the globe, increase dangers to the American people and extinguish the hopes of millions in the Middle East." On the other hand, Bush said, "The success of Iraqi democracy would send forth the news, from Damascus to Tehran, that freedom can be the future of every nation."

In the Democratic rebuttal, Rieckhoff, 29, a former banker from New York City who served for 10 months in Iraq with a Florida National Guard unit, said he was speaking out to help ensure the safety of his fellow soldiers and because "I also want people to know the truth." As a lieutenant in charge of a 39-member platoon, Rieckhoff patrolled a Baghdad neighborhood, finishing his tour in February. In 2001, he had participated in rescue and cleanup efforts following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

In his address, which was distributed by the Kerry campaign, Rieckhoff criticized Bush but never mentioned Kerry.

When his unit reached Baghdad, he said, "We soon found out that the people who planned this war were not ready for us. There were not enough vehicles, not enough ammunition, not enough medical supplies, not enough water. Many days, we patrolled the streets of Baghdad in 120-degree heat with only one bottle of water per soldier. There was not enough body armor, leaving my men to dodge bullets with Vietnam-era flak vests. We had to write home and ask for batteries to be included in our care packages. Our soldiers deserved better."

After Baghdad fell, Rieckhoff said, he and his soldiers waited for help as Iraqi residents continued to suffer and violence increased.

"With too little support and too little planning, Iraq had become our problem to fix," he said. "We had 19-year-old kids from the heartland interpreting foreign policy, in Arabic. This is not what we were designed to do."

Three days before his soldiers were due to leave Iraq, their tour was extended indefinitely, and the instability grew, Rieckhoff said.

"Our platoon had been away from their families for seven months. Two babies had been born. Three wives had filed for divorce, and a fiancée sent a ring back to a kid in Baghdad. Thirty-nine men missed their homes. And they wouldn't see their homes for another eight months." He said some of his men were wounded, including a squad leader who lost both legs in combat, but all 39 eventually came home alive.

While President Bush has said U.S. forces are making progress in Iraq, Rieckhoff said, "Our troops are still waiting for more body armor. They are still waiting for better equipment. They are still waiting for a policy that brings in the rest of the world and relieves their burden. Our troops are still waiting for help.

"I am not angry with our president, but I am disappointed," he said. "I don't expect an easy solution to the situation in Iraq; I do expect an admission that there are serious problems that need serious solutions. . . .

"The soldiers I served with are men and women of extraordinary courage and incredible capability. But it's time we had leadership in Washington to match that courage and match that capability."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A...anguage=printer

[Wolfie]

I don't pretend to know much about the Navy but what's with the Teletubby colored outfits???

[Kooperman]

That's why I call the President's flight suit a Mattel model....looks like they're filming Dorks At War or something. Regarding the actual event, if the Democrats don't hammer Bush with the phrase "Mission Accomplished", just as his dad got hammered with "Read my lips...no new taxes", then Kerry deserves to lose just as Gore did. The words "Mission Accomplished" (Karl Rove's brainchild) should resonate throughout the world until changes are made. Those words personify the arrogance and the shortsightedness of this shameful administration.

[slum_goddess]

I don't pretend to know much about the Navy but what's with the Teletubby colored outfits???

[-medusa-]

....looks like they're filming Dorks At War or something.

:rotfl: as only you can phrase something koop!

_________

every 25-30 years we seem to go through a reawakening of the importance of the power of the people. sounds so campy and 60's it makes my stomach turn; yet, it is a fact. to sit idly by and offer feeble criticisms is not enough (NOT YOU KOOP..you are VERY active). actively participate in governing YOUR country. for any unfamiliar with how powerful the people can be review the years before the vietnam war ended and what brought it to an end. a quick search on google will supply plenty of info.

__________

i'm sure GW is a capable and intelligent man; however, at this point i question his ability to lead/direct this country and its resources as "the people" deem necessary.

Edited May 4, 2004 by -medusa-