What was the significance of the "Mission Accomplished" speech?

When George W Bush made his speech aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003, controversy was sparked by both his assertion that major combat operations had ended in Iraq and the ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner that was displayed behind him. More lives were lost after the President's declaration of victory that were lost prior to the time he declared victory.

The president's arrival

On May 1, 2003, George W Bush made a landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in a jet aircraft as the carrier returned from a tour of duty in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Iraqi Liberation.

Wearing a green flight suit, he posed for photographs with members of the ship's crew before giving a speech announcing the end of major combat operations in the Iraq War.

Clearly visible in the background was the infamous banner stating ‘Mission Accomplished’.

The speech

The passage from the Presidents speech that proved most controversial was as follows:

“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”.

Controversy

The banner stating ‘Mission Accomplished’ was a the centre of controversy and criticism, particularly calls of misleading the public as it was widely perceived as announcing the end of the Iraq War. The Pentagon later said that the banner referred specifically to the aircraft carrier's 10-month deployment and not the war itself.

The White House claimed that the banner was requested by the crew of the ship and that the sign referred to the initial invasion of Iraq. It later admitted that the banner should have been much more specific and said 'mission accomplished for these sailors who are on this ship on their mission.'

Anniversary

On May 1, 2011, exactly eight years after the speech, President Barack Obama announced that U.S. Navy SEALs had killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.