The Words Are Just as Powerful Four Years Later

I am sick of the continuous bleat of hatred from Americans against President Bush. I am also sick of reading about the "Mission Accomplished" speech given by the President 4 years ago today. The President never declared the war over - he never uttered the words "Mission Accomplished" despite the banner. But what he did say was so much more powerful than how it is portrayed in the media. Even more so today with the political minstrel show from the failuremongers Reid and Pelosi. Here's a reminder...

"The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done. Then we will leave, and we will leave behind a free Iraq. The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September 11, 2001 - and still goes on. That terrible morning, 19 evil men - the shock troops of a hateful ideology - gave America and the civilized world a glimpse of their ambitions. They imagined, in the words of one terrorist, that September the 11th would be the "beginning of the end of America." By seeking to turn our cities into killing fields, terrorists and their allies believed that they could detraoy this nation's resolve and force our retreat from the world."

"Our mission continues. Al Qaeda is wounded, not destroyed. The scattered cells of the terrorist network still operate in many nations and we know from daily intelligence that they continue to plot against free people. The proliferation of deadly weapons remains a serious danger. The enemies of freedom are not idle and neither are we. Our government has taken unprecedented measures to defend the homeland. And we will continue to hunt down the enemy before he can strike. The war on terror is not over, yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide. No act of the terrorists will change our purpose or weaken our resolve, or alter their fate. Their cause is lost. Free nations will press on to victory."

"We are mindful, as well, that some good men and women are not making the journey home... Every name, every life is a loss to our military, to our nation and to the loved ones who grieve. There's no homecoming for these families. Yet we pray, in God's time, their reunion will come. Those we lost were last seen on duty. Their final act on this Earth was to fight a great evil and bring liberty to others. All of you - all in this generation of our military - have taken up the highest calling in history. You're defending your country and protecting the innocent from harm. And wherever you go, you carry a message of hope - a message that is ancient and ever new. In the words of the prophet Isaiah "to the captives 'come out' and to those in darkness 'be free'."

"Thank you for serving our country and our cause. May God bless you all and may God continue to bless America."