This is coolbert:
Back to the subject of the now infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech by President Bush.
"2003 Mission Accomplished speech"
A much maligned speech, the President an object of derision, the entire episode now considered to be an "embarrassment"?
The theme, "Mission Accomplished" NOT understood at the time and NOT even understood NOW!
"Mission Accomplished" meaning from the military standpoint AND END TO COMBAT OPERATIONS AT CORPS LEVEL AND HIGHER!!
The army of Iraq destroyed, the regime of Saddam Hussein overthrown, the people of Iraq liberated from a tyrant!
Of this there is no question? Combat involving anti-insurgent/anti-guerrilla operations only in the incipient stage, but nonetheless, COMBAT OPERATIONS AT CORPS LEVEL AND HIGHER SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED - - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!
EVEN further more, AND AN ITEM NOT EVEN MENTIONED IN THE WIKI ENTRY - - the President felt he owed a special obligation and THANKS to the crew and the combat aviators of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. MORE than anything else, the "Mission Accomplished" speech was directed at the entire ships' complement!
The Lincoln having just completed a deployment to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf, the combat aircraft of the Lincoln flying numerous missions over Iraqi airspace, the aircraft carrier HOMEWARD BOUND AFTER SIX MONTHS ABSENCE! The Lincoln ordered to turn around and return to combat station - - duty first!
The original deployment and then extended mission of the Lincoln unprecedented in length:
"the Abraham Lincoln was deployed 290 days, longer than any other nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in history."
The additional and extended deployment to the Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf meaning combat - - war, even many more combat missions. Neither the crew of the Lincoln or the combat aviators shirking their duty one bit, everyone knowing full well what disappointment the "turn-around" must have meant for family members and loved ones at home.
President Bush knew full well he owed in particular a large measure of gratitude to the ships' complement of the Lincoln and strongly desired to repay that debt in full, in an appropriate way!
Say what you will, in this instance the Commander-in-Chief did well, very well!
coolbert.
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1 comment:
C'mon, my good man. Your parsing a little bit too cute. The implication to any normal walkin' around human was it was all over, period.
To state that the cognoscenti knew the precise, non layman's definition and the rest of the world is foolish not to get it is silly.
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