'Mission Accomplished' - Word Play in the War Zone

As Obama removes the 'last' troops from Iraq I felt it was worth reminding ourselves of something that happened seven years ago...

On May 1, 2003, President Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln aboard an S-3B Viking jet, emerged from the aircraft in full flight gear, and proceeded to "press flesh," as The Washington Post put it, as he shook hands and hugged crew members in front of the cameras. Later that day, Bush delivered a nationally televised speech from the deck of the Abraham Lincoln in which he declared that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended," all the while standing under a banner reading: "Mission Accomplished."

Despite lingering questions over the continued violence in Iraq, the failure to locate weapons of mass destruction, and the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein, as well as evidence that Bush may have shirked his responsibilities in the Texas Air National Guard (TANG) during the Vietnam War, the print and televised media fawned over Bush's "grand entrance" and the image of Bush as the "jet pilot" and the "Fighter Dog."

And yet, seven years and over 4000 military deaths later only now have 'major combat operations in Iraq ended'.

So don't for one second think this 'withdrawal' is any different. Yes, 50,000 troops remain in a support and training role, but that is on top of the 100,000 private contractors, which is set to rise.

Also, the oil contracts are in place for another 20 years, so don't expect to see the US lose interest at least until then. But even then there is the millions and millions of dollars that has been spent on PERMANENT infrastructure - the US have set up base for the long term. The very long term.

What we are seeing is a re-branding - 'combat operations' become 'stabilization operations' and it seems that there is plenty of stabilisation to be done.

Lt Gen Babakir Zebari, Iraq's top army officer, said that his country's troops will not be fully trained until 2020 and that they would not be able to cope without the support of the Americans.

But violence in the country has escalated sharply and there are signs that al-Qaeda has stepped up its activities with a series of attacks. - Tele graph

So the Iraqi army will not be ready until 2020 and this is in the face of escalated violence.

Some are perplexed at how this constant media word play gets perpetrated...

Retired Army Col. Andrew Berdy:

Can you explain to me how, or why, the myth of "all combat troops out of Iraq" is allowed to be perpetuated by the press, much less our senior military leadership? Yes, the mission has changed. But units like my son's Stryker Brigade (not the one that just left!) are, and always will be, combat infantry units.

This is fiction pure and simple. I just don't get how the nation has swallowed this and why members of the media are not reporting facts the way they are rather than the political PR message the Administration wants portrayed. Does anyone not think that the likelihood of continued combat operations is a reality? When casualties are taken by these "non-combat forces" will those casualties be characterized as "non-combat" as well? - andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com...

Also of note, the troops that are leaving Iraq will most likely find themselves being shipped to Afghanistan (Yemen,Iran?), out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Mission Accomplished?