Tue May 2, 4:39 AM ET
Three years after US President George W. Bush prematurely stood beneath a banner hailing "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, his administration said the war-torn country was finally "on the way" toward ushering in stability and democracy.
"We are on the way to accomplishing the mission and achieving victory," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan, on the three-year anniversary of a speech in which the president, standing on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, pronounced major US combat operations over in Iraq.
Bush's overly-optimistic assessment that "major combat operations" were over in Iraq and the now-infamous "Mission Accomplished" banner have been the subject of much criticism ever since, with thousands of US forces and Iraqi civilians killed in escalating violence over the past three years.
The Pentagon said that as of last Friday, 2,401 US forces were killed in Iraq, including 1,886 since Bush's aircraft carrier speech.
Bush put the event behind him Monday, declaring that after months of sectarian strife, Iraq had turned a corner after selection of a unity government.
"(We) are going to work with the new leadership to strengthen our mutual efforts to achieve success, a victory in this war on terror," he said in brief remarks delivered on the White House lawn Monday.
But opposition Democrats, who long have considered the "Mission Accomplished" incident among the administration's most embarrassing gaffes, could not resist needling Bush about the administration's missteps in Iraq.
"In honor of today's 'Mission Accomplished' anniversary, allow me to remind the president of some of his 'accomplishments' in Iraq," US Representative Rahm Emanuel (news, bio, voting record), a Democratic leader in the US House, wrote in a press release.
Emanuel enumerated a long list of administration mistakes, including predictions "that the Iraq conflict would take no more than five months" and "that our troops would be greeted as liberators."
Other members of the opposition party piled on, with top Senate Democrat Harry Reid calling Monday "a sad anniversary of a sorry public relations stunt."
Democratic US Senator Ted Kennedy used the milestone to slam the administration, while honoring the US war dead and their survivors.
"For them, their families and loved ones, the mission is far from accomplished," Kennedy said from the floor of the US Senate.
Bush however said Monday that while some "tough days" are ahead, the worst is likely over.
"We believe this is a turning point for the Iraqi citizens, and it's a new chapter in our partnership," said Bush, flanked by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, fresh from their surprise visit last week to Iraq.
The president had praise for Iraq's prime minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki, who has been under pressure from a power-sharing government to curb sectarian violence.
"This new government is going to represent a new start for the Iraqi people. It's a government that understands they've got serious challenges ahead of them," Bush said, describing the new Iraqi leadership as "optimistic people."
"They're full of energy and they're very eager to succeed," he said.
Bush reiterated his view that not just the Iraqis but the United States stands to benefit from a stable, self-sufficient Iraq.
"A new Iraqi government represents a strategic opportunity for America, and the whole world, for that matter. This nation of ours and our coalition partners are going to work with the new leadership to strengthen our mutual efforts to achieve success, a victory in this war on terror," he said.
Rumsfeld, Rice and the new Iraqi leadership covered numerous topics in their meetings last week, including "the need to establish control over the militias and other unauthorized armed groups and enforce the rule of law," Bush said.
"We will support them in these efforts to achieve that important objective," said Bush, who said discussions also addressed "the need to rebuild infrastructure and strengthen their economy."
A Pentagon report published Monday said the reconstruction of Iraq had made "significant progress" in recent months despite "shortfalls and deficiencies."
Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, said in a quarterly report that oil production remained below pre-war levels and that "Iraqis are not yet fully benefiting from their nation's enormous oil supply."
The report also says 67 percent of the 21 billion dollars for reconstruction had been spent, and only two billion dollars more need to be allocated.
"Although the story of Iraq reconstruction has been punctuated by shortfalls and deficiencies, the infrastructure overview ... presents a picture of significant progress achieved through a substantial US investment of time, talent, and tax dollars in Iraq's relief and reconstruction," the report said.