Mission Accomplished
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"Mission Accomplished", a military phrase associated with completing a mission, is in recent years particularly associated with a sign displayed on the USS Abraham Lincoln as President George W. Bush addressed the United States on May 1, 2003.
Bush stated at the time that this was the end to major combat operations in Iraq. While this statement did coincide with an end to the conventional phase of the war, Bush's assertion — and the sign — became controversial after guerilla warfare in Iraq increased during the Iraqi insurgency. The vast majority of casualties, among both coalition and Iraqi combatants, and from Iraqi civilians, have occurred after the speech.
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[edit] Description
On May 1, 2003 George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in Navy One, a Lockheed S-3 Viking, wearing a flight suit. A few minutes later he gave a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq War. Clearly visible in the background was a banner stating "Mission Accomplished."
Bush's historic jet landing on the carrier, the first by a sitting president, was criticized by opponents as an overly theatrical and expensive stunt. For instance, they pointed to the fact that the carrier was well within range of Bush's helicopter, and that a jet landing was not needed.[1] Originally the White House had stated that the carrier was too far off the California coast for a helicopter landing and a jet would be needed to reach it. On the day of the speech, the Lincoln was only 30 miles from shore but the administration still decided to go ahead with the jet landing. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer admitted that the president "could have helicoptered, but the plan was already in place. Plus, he wanted to see a landing the way aviators see a landing."[2] The Lincoln made a scheduled stop in Pearl Harbor shortly before the speech and returned to its home base in Everett, Washington on May 6, 2003.
The banner stating "Mission Accomplished" was the main source of controversy and criticism. Navy Commander and Pentagon spokesman Conrad Chun stated that the banner referred specifically to the aircraft carrier's 10-month deployment (which was the longest deployment of a carrier since the Vietnam War) and not the war itself, saying "It truly did signify a mission accomplished for the crew."
The White House claimed that the banner was requested by the crew of the ship. Afterwards, the administration and naval sources stated that the banner was the Navy's idea, White House staff members made the banner, and it was hung by the U.S. Navy personnel. White House spokesman Scott McClellan told CNN "We took care of the production of it. We have people to do those things. But the Navy actually put it up."[3] According to John Dickerson of TIME magazine, the White House later conceded that they actually hung the banner but still insists it had been done at the request of the crewmembers.[4]
Whether meant for the crew or not, the general impression created by the image of the President under the banner has been criticized as premature — especially later as the guerrilla war began. Subsequently, the White House released a statement saying that the sign and Bush's visit referred to the initial invasion of Iraq. Bush's speech noted:
- "We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We are bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous."[5]
Bush reiterated his "Mission Accomplished" statement to the troops at Camp As Sayliyah on June 5, 2003 — about a month after the aircraft carrier incident: "America sent you on a mission to remove a grave threat and to liberate an oppressed people, and that mission has been accomplished."[6]
For critics of the war, the photo-op became a symbol of the administration's unrealistic goals and perceptions of the conflict. Anti-war activists questioned the integrity and realism of George W. Bush's "Major combat" statement. The banner came to symbolize the irony of the President giving a victory speech only a few weeks after the beginning of a relatively long war. Many in the administration came to regret the slogan. Karl Rove later stated "I wish the banner [had] not [been] up there."[7]
In a less publicized incident, Rumsfeld also declared an end to major combat operations in Afghanistan on May 1, a few hours before President Bush's announcement.[8]
[edit] Mass media references
Iraq war opponents have used the phrase "mission accomplished" in an ironic sense. In addition, some mainstream outlets questioned the state of the war with derivatives of this statement. For example, the October 6, 2003 cover of Time featured the headline "Mission Not Accomplished."[9]
- "Mission accomplished" style banners appear in three episodes of the Fox Broadcasting Company's television sitcom Arrested Development.[10]
- In a FoxTrot comic from around the time of this incident, Jason receives a "G.I. Jim Presidential Photo Op" Aircraft Carrier Playset for Christmas, parodying this incident. His best friend Marcus says he thought all those were recalled, to which Jason responds "Santa must have shopped early."
- On The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert lampooned the sign with the anagram "C'mon I lied, so scampish." Jon Stewart also lampooned this publicity stunt by wearing a flight suit and appearing in front of a banner that read "My Bad!"
- On the MSNBC program Countdown with Keith Olbermann, the host ends most broadcasts by stating the number of days since the declaration of "Mission Accomplished".
- Comedian Bill Maher pointed out that coincidentally the third anniversary fell on approximately the same date of the premiere of the Tom Cruise film Mission: Impossible 3.
- On the November 11, 2006 episode of Saturday Night Live, one skit parodied a Donald Rumsfeld interview with him being moved out of his office. As the move was just being started, they showed a banner that said "Move accomplished"
- On an episode of Scrubs JD reads about the Iraq War. He then calls Turk saying: "I dont understand...I'm up to this Mission Accomplished part, and I have like 400 pages left!"
- A video appeared on YouTube alleging the White House website's official video of the speech Bush made on the aircraft carrier has now been cropped to conceal the "Mission Accomplished" banner.[11] Conservative bloggers dispute that the edits to the video were for the purpose of hiding the banner, citing evidence that, due to camera angles, the banner would not have appeared in that shot in any event,[12] and that blacked out portion of the video likely covers television graphics belonging to the source of the video.[13]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/29/iraq/main580661.shtml
- ^ http://www.nationalreview.com/york/york060303.asp
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/
- ^ http://www.time.com/time/columnist/printout/0,8816,536170,00.html
- ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/01/iraq/main551946.shtml</ref
- "Our mission continues...The War on Terror continues, yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide."
- "In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."<ref></ref>
[edit] External links
- Commander in Chief lands on USS Lincoln CNN.com, May 2, 2003
- President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended, White House transcript of Bush's speech, May 1, 2003
- White House pressed on 'mission accomplished' sign, CNN.com, October 29, 2003
- 'Mission Accomplished' Whodunit CBSnews.com, October 29, 2003
- White House press release discussing/explaining 'Mission Accomplished' banner, October 29, 2003
