Former President George W. Bush recalled his May 1, 2003, speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln, announcing the end of major combat operations in Iraq: “I hadn’t noticed the large banner my staff had placed on the bridge of the ship, positioned for TV. It read ‘Mission Accomplished.’ It was intended as a tribute to the folks aboard the Lincoln, which had just completed the longest deployment for an aircraft carrier of its class. Instead, it looked like I was doing the victory dance I had warned against. ‘Mission Accomplished’ became a shorthand criticism for all that subsequently went wrong in Iraq. My speech made clear that our work was far from done. But all the explaining in the world could not reverse the perception. Our stagecraft had gone awry. It was a big mistake.”
– George W. Bush, Decision Points, Page 257