In honor of this unfortunate occasion, I offer up Juan Cole's excellent analysis of one of the worst speeches by a president in US history on May 1,2003 .....
http://www.juancole.com/labels/Iraq.html<snip>
Here are some memorable phrases from Bush's mendacious speech half a decade ago:
' . . . major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. . .
And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country. . .
In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty and for the peace of the world. . .
Because of you our nation is more secure. . . (Note that he is trying to attribute to the poor enlisted men his policies.) . . .
In the images of fallen statues we have witnessed the arrival of a new era. . . (The statue was pulled down by the US military and the whole thing was staged before a tiny Iraqi crowd, the small size of which media close-ups disguised.) . . .
In defeating Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, Allied forces destroyed entire cities, while enemy leaders who started the conflict were safe until the final days. Military power was used to end a regime by breaking a nation. Today we have the greater power to free a nation by breaking a dangerous and aggressive regime. With new tactics and precision weapons, we can achieve military objectives without directing violence against civilians. . . (The US has probably directly killed about 200,000 Iraqis and destroyed the city of Fallujah as well as damaging and repeatedly bombing others. Bush's fascist attempt to reconfigure warfare as a humanitarian gesture is the biggest lie of all) . . .
Men and women in every culture need liberty like they need food and water and air. (Foreign military occupation is not generally considered 'liberty' by most people.) . . .
<snip>
The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror. We have removed an ally of Al Qaida and cut off a source of terrorist funding. (There was no operational connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda. None. And the US occupation of Iraq gave al-Qaeda a new lease on life ) . . .
We are committed to freedom in Afghanistan, Iraq and in a peaceful Palestine. . . (90% of the world fell down laughing at that point in the speech; only gullible, self-righteous Americans could even think about taking this snow job seriously) . . .