Cord Byrd: “Tomorrow we mark the fifth anniversary of the now infamous ``Mission Accomplished'' speech which was delivered by…”

“Tomorrow we mark the fifth anniversary of the now infamous ``Mission Accomplished'' speech which was delivered by President Bush on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003. Five years ago, I took issue with the President's choreographed political theatrics because I believed then that our military forces deserved to be treated with respect and dignity, and not used as stage props to embellish a Presidential speech. The President's declaration of ``Mission Accomplished'' and the ``end of major combat operations'' proved wildly premature and dangerously naive. The complete lack of foresight and planning by the President for what lay ahead became tragically clear in short order. Our Nation continues to pay the price every single day. More than 97 percent of the more than 4,000 Americans killed in Iraq lost their lives after the President's flashy declaration of victory. Years from now, I expect that history books will feature the sorry ``Mission Accomplished'' episode as the epitome of this administration's reckless and arrogant foreign policy, which has reaped disastrous consequences for our Nation and the world. We have seen a President who is eager to use American troops for a political backdrop, yet who is seemingly indifferent when it comes to providing those same American troops with the equipment they need, quality health care, or a real plan for ending this terrible war.”