[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E920-E921]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SPEECH PRESIDENT BUSH GAVE ON THE DECK OF THE 
                       U.S.S. ``ABRAHAM LINCOLN''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 1, 2007

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, today marks the 4th anniversary of the 
speech President Bush gave on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in 
which he told the American people that hostilities in Iraq and 
Afghanistan were over.
  Standing under a broad ``Mission Accomplished'' banner, the President 
congratulated Defense Secretary Rumsfeld for a job well done and 
declared Iraq free and the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan 
destroyed.
  Like many Americans, the image of the President under that banner 4 
years ago still stands out because each passing year is a reminder that 
the mission has not been accomplished, Iraq is not a safer place, and 
neither the Taliban nor Al Qaeda have been destroyed.
  The President and his advisors try to distract the public with 
evocative images and declarations about success in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. But no amount of spin can disguise the harsh reality of 
the desperate situation on the ground.
  On that day 4 years ago, when the President declared an end of 
hostilities, there were 142,000 American soldiers in Iraq. Today there 
are 155,000. On May 1st, 2003, there had been 138 American casualties 
and 542 wounded in Iraq. Today the number of casualties is 3,351 and 
the number of wounded is 25,090.
  The Iraqi people have also paid a dear price during this war. Though 
exact numbers are difficult to find, the estimated number of Iraqi 
civilians killed by violence since May 2003 is between 53,000 and 
63,000. One controversial study in 2004 estimated that as many as 
655,000 have been killed. Today the President had an opportunity to 
change direction in Iraq and begin to bring the war to an end. He 
squandered that opportunity.

[[Page E921]]

  The Congress sent the President a bill that would hold Iraqis 
accountable for taking the steps necessary to achieve political 
reconciliation and greater stability. The bill also provided additional 
funding to go after Osama bin Laden, the Taliban and Al Qaeda. By 
vetoing the bill, the President missed an opportunity to change 
direction in Iraq and finish the job in Afghanistan.
  The situation in Afghanistan remains grim. On this day 4 years ago, 
the President told the American people, ``In the Battle of Afghanistan, 
we destroyed Al Qaeda and the Taliban.'' In speech after speech, 
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other senior U.S. officials 
claimed that Al Qaeda had been routed.
  But the reality is that 4 years after the U.S. invasion, the Taliban 
have regrouped and remains a serious threat. In fact, a new Jihadist 
sanctuary appears to be emerging on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
  By almost any metric, whether it is the number of Iraqi schools being 
built or the number of Afghan roads secured, it is clear that the 
mission in Iraq and Afghanistan is far from accomplished. But it is 
also clear that Americans no longer have the patience for impressive 
photo ops and overblown pronouncements about completed missions. The 
American public wants achievable goals and quantifiable results--not 
slogans.

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