Senator Kennedy on Mission Not Accomplished

<Senator Kennedy on Mission Not Accomplished
As the anniversary approaches of Bush's "Mission Accomplished" charade on the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, Senator Ted Kennedy took to the Senate floor to offer some observations on Bush's many mistakes in handling the war in Iraq and its aftermath.


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(Unofficial transcript of Sen. Kennedy's speech this morning on Mission Not Accomplished.)

MR. KENNEDY: MR. PRESIDENT, A YEAR AGO THIS SATURDAY, PRESIDENT BUSH DRESSED UP IN A FLIGHT SUIT, FLEW OUGHT TO THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER "ABRAHAM LINCOLN" AND DECLARED "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED"
IN IRAQ. OUR MISSION WAS FAR FROM ACCOMPLISHED THEN, AND IT'S FAR FROM ACCOMPLISHED NOW.

AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE IN THE WHITE HOUSE EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE PRESIDENT WAS ASKED IF HE KNEW OF ANY MISTAKES THAT HE HAD MADE AND HE SAID HE COULDN'T THINK OF OF ANY. IT'S TOO MUCH TO EXPECT THAT HE WOULD HAVE MENTIONED IRAQ, BUT HE MIGHT HAVE AT LEAST MENTIONED THE TRIP TO THE CARRIER. THE TRIP WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A PHOTO OP, TAILORED FOR 2004 ELECTION.


THEN, AS NOW, THE PRESIDENT HAD NO PLAN, NO
STRATEGY ABOUT HOW AMERICA CAN STABILIZE IRAQ, BRING OUR SOLDIERS HOME WITH DIGNITY AND HONOR, AND ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION. THEN, AS NOW, WE ARE MUDDLING DAY BYDAY, HOPING FOR
THE BEST, FEARING THE WORST. IRAQ WAS THE BIG MISTAKE. THERE WAS NO URGENT NEED TO GO TO WAR IN IRAQ. SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS A BRUTAL DICTATOR, BUT HE DID NOT POSE THE KIND OF IMMEDIATE THREAT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY THAT COULD JUSTIFY A
UNILATERAL, PREVENTIVE WAR WITHOUT THE BROAD SUPPORT OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

IT'S CLEAR THAT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION MANIPULATED, MISREPRESENTED, AND DISTORTED THE AVAILABLE INTELLIGENCE IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THE WAR IN IRAQ. THEY PUT A SPIN ON THE INTELLIGENCE AND A SPIN ON THE TRUTH. THEY SAID SADDAM WAS ACQUIRING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. HE WASN'T. THEY SAID HE HAD CLOSE TIES TO AL-QAEDA. HE DIDN'T. CONGRESS WOULD NEVER HAVE VOTED TO AUTHORIZE THE WAR IF WE HAD KNOWN THE TRUTH.

OUR MILITARY HAD A BRILLIANT PLAN TO WIN THE WAR. OUR
SOLDIERS PERFORMED BRILLIANTLY DURING THE THREE-WEEK INITIAL
MILITARY OPERATION. BUT THE PRESIDENT HAD NO PLAN TO WIN THE
PEACE. HE SAID WE WOULD BE TREATED AS LIBERATORS IN THE FIRST
DAY OR TWO OFF THE STATUE OF SADDAM FELL. WE WERE.

BUT THEN THE MASSIVE LOOTING BEGAN. RESENTMENT BY THE IRAQI PEOPLE BEGAN AND THE LIBERATION QUICKLY TURNED INTO AN OCCUPATION. IRAQ HAS BECOME A QUAGMIRE. IT MAY WELL GO DOWN AS THE WORST BLUNDER IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY.

IRAQ IS GEORGE BUSH'S VIETNAM. BY GOING TO WAR IN IRAQ, PRESIDENT BUSH SQUANDERED THE IMMENSE GOOD WILL OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY THAT WE HAD WON IN THE WAKE OF 9/11 AND WE'RE PAYING A HIGH PRICE IN
THE LIVES OF OUR TROOPS AND THE RESPECT OF OTHER NATIONS. BY
GOING TO WAR IN IRAQ, PRESIDENT BUSH HAS MADE THE REAL WAR ON
TERRORISM HARDER TO WIN.

WE LEFT THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN UNFINISHED. WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE GIVEN AL-QAEDA PRECIOUS TIME TO RECOVER AND REGROUP AND EXPAND THEIR REACH. BY DOING SO, WE MADE FUTURE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE UNITED STATES MORE LIKELY. BEFORE THE WAR, PENTAGON OFFICIALS ASSURED CONGRESS THAT FIRM PLANS WERE IN PLACE TO SECURE IRAQ AND REBUILD IT. THE REALITY IS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAD A PLAN ON PAPER BUT NOT A REAL PLAN, AND PRECIOUS LITTLE PAPER AT THAT.

THE ADMINISTRATION'S POST-WAR PLANNING WAS BASED ON A QUICKSAND OF FALSE ASSUMPTIONS. IT HAS BEEN HAMSTRUNG BY BLUNDER AFTER BLUNDER AFTER BLUNDER. THE CONTINUING ARROGANCE OF THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BLINDED IT TO THE COLD, HARD FACTS ABOUT THE IMMENSE CHALLENGES OF POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION IN IRAQ.

BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE IN BOSNIA AND KOSOVO AND EASTTY MORE AND
AFGHANISTAN, WE KNEW SECURITY COULD BE A PROFOUND CHALLENGE,
WITH MAJOR CHALLENGES FROM A RESTLESS POPULATION. YET WE HAD NO
BROAD SECURITY PLAN, AS THE EARLY LOOTING QUICKLY SHOWED, AND A
DANGEROUS SECURITY SITUATION STILL EXISTS TODAY. THE
ADMINISTRATION ASSUMED THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DRAW ON THE
THOUSANDS OF SADDAM'S POLICE FORCE TO PROTECT SECURITY.

BUT IN THE CRITICAL EARLY WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED THE WAR, THEY WERE
NOWHERE TO BE FOUND AND TOO MANY OF THEIR OFFICERS TURNED OUT
TO BE THUGS AND TORTURERS. THE ADMINISTRATION ASSUMED THAT
IRAQI EXILE LEADERS COULD RETURN TO IRAQ TO RALLY THE
POPULATION AND LEAD THE NEW GOVERNMENT. BUT THEY WERE AND STILL
ARE STRONGLY RESENTED BY THE IRAQI PEOPLE.

TODAY WITH THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY SCHEDULED FOR THE END OF JUNE, THE ADMINISTRATION STILL HAS NO IDEA ABOUT WHO SHOULD RUN THE COUNTRY. THEY ASSUME THAT HALF A FEW HUNDRED OF SADDAM'S TOP
ADVISORS WERE REMOVED FROM POWER, LARGE NUMBERS OF LOCAL
OFFICIALS WOULD REMAIN TO RUN THE GOVERNMENT, BUT THE
GOVERNMENT CRUMBLED. TODAY IT REMAINS IN SHAMBLES. WRONGLY WE
CONTINUE TO RELY PRIMARILY ON A MILITARY SOLUTION FOR
POLITICALLY INSPIRED VIOLENCE.

LOOK AT FALLUJAH. LET US HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO HEAR SECRETARY RUMSFELD SAY, "WE HAD TO DESTROY FALLUJAH IN ORDER TO SAVE IT." IT IS PAINFULLY CLEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT AND THOSE WHO ADVOCATED THE WAR HAVE LOST ALL CREDIBILITY ON IRAQ. THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE SOLUTION GOING INTO THE WAR. THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION NOW. AND THEY HAVE NO PLAN TO EXTRICATE US FROM THE QUAGMIRE THEY
CREATED.

THE RESULT HAS BEEN CHAOS FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND
CONTINUING MORTAL DANGER FOR OUR TROOPS. WE CANNOT CUT AND RUN.
OUR SOLDIERS DESERVE A GENUINE STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH THE
CONTINUING CRISIS. ALL OF US WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE
ADMINISTRATION'S PAST POLICY WELCOME THE REINVOLVEMENT OF THE
UNITED NATIONS IN IRAQ AND THE ADMINISTRATION'S OPENNESS TO A
NEW U.N. RESOLUTION.

THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS WILL PROVIDE ANY SIGNIFICANT RELIEF FOR OUR TROOPS. THERE IS NO SIGN OF THAT YET. THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS SPOKED ITS FINGER IN THE EYE OF ALMOST EVERY OTHER NATION IN THE WORLD AND THEY HAVE LITTLE INCENTIVE OR
INTEREST IN COMING TO OUR RESCUE. OUR MILITARY HAS BEEN BEARING
A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF THE BURDEN. WE HAVE 80% OF THE
TROOPS ON THE GROUND, AND WE HAVE SUFFERED 80% OF THE
CASUALTIES. THAT BURDEN IS INCREASING WITH SPAIN AND HONDURAS
AND NICARAGUA AND EL SALVADOR PULLING TROOPS OUT OF THE COUNTRY
AND OTHERS THREATENING TO DO THE SAME. HE

VERY LITTLE WILL CHANGE AFTER THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY AND UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN TO WORK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, IT'S NOT HEEN A GENUINE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY. WE'LL STILL BE RUFNING THE SHOW IN IRAQ-- --WE'LL STILL BE RUNNING THE SHOW IN IRAQ. A U.S. OCCUPATION BY ANOTHER NAME IS STILL A U.S.
OCCUPATION.

WE NEED A REAL CHANGE IN OUR FOREIGN POLICY, NOT A
COSMETIC CHANGE. ONLY A NEW ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS THE TRUST
AND THE CONFIDENCE OF THE REST OF THE WORLD WILL BE ABLE TO
BRING IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE INTERNATIONAL
TROOPS, PROVIDE INTERNATIONAL POLICE, PROVIDE INTERNATIONAL
FINANCIAL RESOURCES, ACHIEVE A WORKABLE POLITICAL SOLUTION,
RELIEVE THE BURDEN ON OUR MILITARY, AND BRING THEM HOME WITH
DIGNITY AND HONOR.

MR. PRESIDENT, OUR MISSION IN IRAQ IS FAR FROM ACCOMPLISHED. OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM KNOW IT. THE IRAQI PEOPLE KNOW IT. AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW IT , TOO. I
WITHHOLD THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.>

http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/001622.html

I wish we had 10 more party stalwarts just like him!

I love you Teddy!

Lets hope that hits the news.