05.01.2007

Washington D.C.

On the eve of the 4th anniversary of President Bush's infamous 'Mission Accomplished' moment aboard an aircraft carrier on May 1, 2003, the National Security Network and Americans Against Escalation in Iraq released a new report comparing Iraq in May 2003 to today. The analysis finds significant deterioration of the situation in Iraq since May 2003.

NSN: Four Years Since 'Mission Accomplished' http://www.nsnetwork.org/node/141

AAEI: Key Statistics and Headlines, Iraq Then and Now: http://www.noiraqescalation.org/tools/reports/files/0011.doc

The new analysis underscores the failures of President Bush's Iraq policy. Detailing the significant increase in violence, the strain on the military, and the lack of progress politically over the last four years, the report stands an indictment of the Bush administration's Iraq policy. The report comes as the President continues to threaten to veto legislation passed by the Congress and supported by the American public that would force a change to the President's reckless policies of the last four years that resulted in the dramatic increase in violence and death in Iraq. The Iraq Accountability Act was passed by the House and the Senate last week. The legislation sets a timetable for a safe, responsible end to the war in Iraq.

"In the four years since President Bush declared victory on that aircraft carrier, 3,200 American troops were killed, nearly 26,000 more were wounded, and spending on the war ballooned to $448 billion. The President's mismanaged war in Iraq is far from a 'mission accomplished,' "said Moira Mack, spokesperson for Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. "President Bush was out of touch with the situation in Iraq four years ago and he is out of touch today. For once, the president should listen - listen to the Iraq Study Group, the Congress and most of all the American people and finally bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq."

"President Bush was wrong four years ago and he is wrong today. The Bush administration was wrong about being greeted as liberators, wrong about the length of our military commitment, and wrong about the cost of the war," said Moira Whalen spokesperson for the National Security Network. "Since the President stood under that 'Mission Accomplished' banner four years ago, bombings and violence have increased exponentially, our military has been strained to the breaking point, and the insurgency has multiplied. Since the President announced the escalation of the war just a few months ago, American casualties have increased by 33%. At this rate, America cannot afford to give the President's failed strategy any more time. It's time to stop to stop the President's reckless Iraq policy and end this war responsibly."