Kennedy on Fifth Anniversary of ‘Mission Accomplished'

Statement

KENNEDY ON FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF ‘MISSION ACCOMPLISHED'

Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of ‘Mission Accomplished,' speech by President Bush.

"Sadly, for our brave men and women in uniform, America is no closer to accomplishing its mission in Iraq today than we were five years ago. Our troops remain bogged down in Iraq, waiting for a dysfunctional government to reconcile its differences.

It's wrong for President Bush to keep buying time for his failed policy so that he can hand off the debacle he caused to the next President. Our troops deserve much more than a policy that has become a black hole for precious American blood and treasure, and has caused the greatest loss of respect for America in the eyes of the world in our history. The real mission that must be accomplished in Iraq is political reconciliation, and only the Iraqis can achieve it. It's time to put the Iraqis on notice that American troops are going to leave, so that the Iraqis will make the hard choices required to achieve stability and a peaceful future."

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