Mission Accomplished

Whose Idea Was That?

May 1, 2003 - Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The following has been excerpted from the unedited transcript of President George W. Bush's historic speech made from the deck of this super-carrier,during which he declared an end to major combat in Iraq. (Note); I have the complete speech and nowhere in it does he say or infer that the mission in Iraq has been accomplished. Excerpts from that speech:

"Thank you, thank you very much. 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.- You have shown the world the skill and the might of the American armed forces. This nation thanks all the members of our coalition who joined in a noble cause. We thank the armed forces of the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland who shared in the hardships of war. We thank all of the citizens of Iraq who welcomed our troops and joined in the liberation of their own country.

When Iraqi civilians looked into the faces of our service men and women, they saw strength and kindness and good will. When I look at the members of the United States military, I see the best of our country and I am honored to be your commander in chief. In the images of celebrating Iraqis we have also seen the ageless appeal of human freedom. Decades of lies and intimidation could not make the Iraqi people love their oppressors or desire their own enslavement. Men and women in every culture need liberty like they need food and water and air. Everywhere that freedom arrives, humanity rejoices and everywhere that freedom stirs, let tyrants fear.

We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We're bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous. We're pursuing and findind leaders of the old regime who will be held to account for their crimes. We've begun the search for hidden chemical and biological weapons, and already know of hundreds of sites that will be investigated. We are helping to rebuild Iraq where the dictator built palaces for himself instead of hospitals and schools. And we stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of, by and for the Iraqi people. The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done and then we will leave and we will leave behind a free Iraq. The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war that began on September the 11th, 2001 and still goes on.

Nineteen months ago I pledged that the terrorists would not escape the patient justice of the United States. And as of tonight nearly one half of Al Qaida's senior operatives have been captured or killed. The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror. We have removed an ally of Al Qaida and cut off a source of terror funding. Our war against terror is proceeding according to the principles that I made clear to all."

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a supercarrier whose home base was at Everett, Washington was due back in her home port on May 6, 2003.

The carrier's fifth deployment began in August of 2000 by sailing to the Persian Gulf in support of "Southern Watch." On September 11, 2001 she was back in her home port but was ordered bact to sea on July 20, 2002 to support "Operation Enduring Freedom", once again taking up a station in support of "Southern Watch". The ship and her crew of men and women were originally scheduled to return to Everett, Washington on January 20, 2003 but while in port at Perth, Australia they received orders to return to the Persian Gulf and their time was extended to May 6, 2003.

On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush, landed by helicopter on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln while it was still several days out of port. At that precise time there was a banner displayed near the very top of the ship which read; "Mission Accomplished". This banner, while being made by the White House, was the ship's idea, the idea of the men and women who were serving on it at the time. It was those brave men and women who requested that the White House make that banner for them and that banner was to signified the successful completion of the ship's deployment, according to Commander Chun, noting that the Abraham Lincoln was deployed 290 days, longer than any nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in history. That banner, or sign, had absolutely nothing to do with the speech being made that day by President Bush.

The news media made a big deal out of that banner but to me it was much ado about nothing. Thanks and stay tuned - William