In a speech aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln Thursday evening, President Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq and congratulated the U.S. military's efforts in ousting Saddam Hussein.
Bush focused on the success of military action in Iraq, saying it has opened the way for a successful rebuilding effort there.
\In the battle of Iraq, the U.S. and our allies have prevailed, and now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country,"" he said. ""In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty and peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment.""
In addition to congratulating the troops, Bush repeatedly said the victory in Iraq has larger implications for the war on terror that began Sept. 11, 2001.
""The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror,"" he said. ""With [the 9/11] attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the U.S., and war is what they got.""
Stephen Lucas, a UW-Madison professor of communication arts, said Bush took a measured tone throughout the speech.
""He was very firm without gloating, without being overly celebratory,"" Lucas said. He also noted that Bush approached the connection between Iraq and Sept. 11, 2001 with a different strategy than he has in previous speeches.
""What he did was to put the action in Iraq under this huge umbrella of the war on terrorism,"" he said. ""It was much easier and more convincing in the aftermath of a successful military action in Iraq than before, where people were thinking, 'You have to provide evidence that Iraq was really a part of 9/11.'""
Lucas said Bush was also successful in articulating his dedication to the freedom and security of the American people, a tactic that will most likely aid in his re-election campaign. He attributed this strategy partly to Bush's awareness of his father's mistakes following the first Gulf War.
""One of the major reasons his father lost his re-election campaign was that he didn't do anything with the political capital he had after the war. ... [The current President Bush] doesn't want to be seen as being inactive on the economy,"" Lucas said.
Bush's speech resonates locally, since 50 members of the Wisconsin Air National Guard returned home this week. The troops were part of the 128th air refueling wing unit. About 90 members of the unit are still deployed overseas.
U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., said the president's speech signaled a positive turning point for the U.S. military.
""Our troops performed admirably, carrying out extremely difficult missions under dangerous conditions,"" he said. ""Now with relief we can bring many of them home.""
