MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!? Bush needs to tell that to the thousands upon thousands who have lost family members since that statement was feloniously made. Unfortunately the Iraqis see first hand every day how ridiculous that statement is.

If it were mission accomplished we’d be out of there! I’m afraid that won’t come for a long time.

I have started turning the channel whenever I see McCain or Bush talk about how well the surge is working and how well the war is going. Bush’s arrogance makes my blood boil. I remember seeing the coverage of Bush landing on that carrier and I thought then, if only wishes could make it so. Mission accomplished indeed.

Please let the Dems settle on their nominee quickly so we can get to the meat of matters that matter–the war and the economy. We need to figure out how we can get out of the mess we have made of both of those issues.

Charlotte D
Stockton CA

We don’t get much coverage anymore. It’s time to start paying attention to the war again, and start looking for ways to end it.

Thank you Arwa,

I care. I can only speak for myself, of course.

Thank you for your post and for the incredibly dangerous and trying job that you do. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be posted in Baghdad and to see each and every day the horror of what occurs there. You are a very brave and dedicated professional.

Frankly I cannot fathom that it has been five years since Bush’s ill fated and ill advised speech. Personally I cannot even now bring myself to type the words that he uttered on that day. It makes me horribly sad and more than a little angry.

Please keep doing what you do. It may seem to you and your crew that people here have moved on and no longer care; among my circle of family and friends however, this is not the case. We DO care and we hope that some news networks will rise above the fray and cover more of the stories that matter.

Please stay safe, and once again, heartfelt thanks.

It’s difficult not to be skeptical of any report coming from military commanders and the Bush Administration about how things have “improved” in Iraq when you hear accounts like this one. There hasn’t been nearly enough coverage of Iraq or Afghanistan lately and that is unfortunate.

When the Democrats where handed control of Captial Hill, why didn’t they bring impeachment proceedings against President Bush for his blatant incompetence? His latest ratings showing 70% disapproval by American’s is grounds enough, but when you add up his other ‘accomplishments’, like sinking an economy, a dishonest and failed foreign policy, incompetence in responding to Katrina, illegal use of intelligence assets…and the list goes on…is it because the alternatives are Cheney or Condi-zilla?

How can someone as dumb as a bag of hammers even know what the mission was when he decided to play war games with Dick Dastardly???????? I can’t believe the ruin that’s resulted. I’m beyond outrage!!!

Please explain why Americans are ‘outraged’ that they are paying to rebuild Iraq. The last I heard it was Americans who put Bush in the White House and put his finger on the trigger.
It was called Shock and Awe, not We Play - You Pay.
You made the mess, you clean it up!

And Billary wants to ablitarate another country. Yep America vote for Hillary and start another war. There is a reason they are losing their supporters, they know. Sleep well Bush and Bush supporters.

Thank you for keeping us updated. The Iraqis seem to have traded one horror for another. We do care and our nation prays that this time the suffering will end much sooner…. Hope is hard to imagine even this far away.

I grieve. A “Mission without End”…

I wish we had used better judgement before going into Iraq. The thousands of lives lost there and more importantly the number of American lives lost. We need to get out of there - it’s sickening.

Mission disaster would be more accurate.
My heart goes out to the innocent victims.

I for one do NOT think that the mission is accomplished. Not the one that everyone generally thinks of anyway. When President Bush announced that the mission was accomplished, he meant the mission of the War was accomplished. The restoration of Iraq is very much far from over. You asked over the air, what would it take to really say that the mission is accomplished in Iraq. Then I read this piece online about the violence and suffering in Sadr city. Are you saying, sir, that Sadr is truly representative of the whole of Iraq? Are all of the cities in Iraq in such turmoil and upheaval as in Sadr? How long did it take Germany to recover from its devastation in World War II to become an economic leader in Europe? How long did it take Japan to become one of the world’s leader in industry. And exactly how much money did the USA give to these former enemy nations to become what they are now? What percentage of that are we giving Iraq?

A solid democratic nation of Iraq, who can enforce their own borders, fight their own enemies, who are free to live and practice their religion at peace with their neighbors, who has a solid economy that they are perfectly capable of doing without the aid of outside intervention from western or eastern influences, whose children are educated in the ways of peace not suicidal jihad; These are the conditions that must be met for the mission to truly accomplished in Iraq. These are high aspirations and would take dedication, commitment and a lot of money from the US, but then our founding fathers know all to well the price of peace is never cheap or easy to come by.

What a horrible mess Bush made in Iraq - the suffering and the continued warfare are heartbreaking. So many dead and wounded and mutilated - the survivors will carry the physical and emotional scars for the rest of their lives. I’d like to be out of Iraq but I feel like we need to fix what we broke first - I just wish for the innocent Iraqis that suffer daily that someone could figure out how to do this.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

i wonder how many of us see these pictures and give a sincere thought for those innocent children……..does Mr President Bush or Mrs Hillary Clinton ever repent for their decision……..

Can we imagine the following senario from our president when thugs brought down the towers:

due to the fact that muslim exremists did this in the name of god and islam, and the fact that my christian religon ask us to turn the other cheeck. therefore, we (the USA) wil cut any relation with all muslim countries untill those killers are found and brought to justice by their own governments.

I believe this mission would have been accomplished a long tme ago.
muslim countries need us more than we think and they would stampeed each other to catch the killers and take credit with the USA.

Hi Arwa,
Loved your previous CNN work where you told the story of the village in India that was progressing because of the installation of solar panels.

Regarding the continuing conflict in Iraq, you write:
“There are images that we can’t show.”

Why not? What/who is stopping you?

In an age where I can click through the channels and see profound fictional nudity, profanity, and violence; why is the “truth” deemed more offensive?

People need to see the truth. It’s not always easy to look at, but sometimes it’s necessary to look at the reality of a sitatuion in order to make an informed decision - especially in an election year.

Most Americans don’t have a passport and will never see the things you’re seeing. They’re simply too busy working their jobs, raising their kids, and being good citizens in their community. But they do care.

I think you can show anything if you frame it carefully. People aren’t going to turn away unless they’re assaulted point-blank in the face with shock factor images. A silhouette tells a story too.

Keep up the good work. You are the eyes, the ears, and the filter through which we see the rest of the world. Stay safe.

I feel sorry for Bush.
He must feel like a million pounds is on his shoulders.
It time to get the troops out of there and pray that there is
healing for the innocent people of Iraq and all the families that lost loved ones because of this senseless war.
Mission Accomplished? Yes, Bush your mission accomplished death, hatred and sorrow for a long long time

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED !!!!
Bush has now convinced 71% of the American people he
is a complete impecile. Someone wake up the other 29%
who have been in a coma for the last 7 years. Seems to
me that denial isn’t just a river in Egypt where they are
concerned.

The mission of removing Saddam and his guard was complete….

Since then it’s been a mess… but whether or not we should have gone isn’t relevant anymore… the blood in the streets is caused internally, like it or not… and if we leave it will increase ten fold as the Sunnis/Shias fight for control.

It’s a big trash sandwich at this point… and my heart goes out to the Iraqi’s… many of whom I call my friend… and those which I have spoken and lived with… 90+% are greatful we are there… and scared of what will happen when we leave… but that of course doens’t get reported!

The scary part about Mr. Bush’ s statement five years ago “Mission Accomplished” are the statements he makes today. “The economy will come on”. “I’m confident it will”. Now that is a scary statement.

P Wolfe
New Mexico

McCain admitted through his inference, that the Iraq “War”, where over 4000 young Americans have given their lives, is being fought for oil.