Mission Accomplished?

Well, I guess Bush's mission in Iraq has been accomplished, that is, if his mission was to (1) invade a country with far fewer troops than he needed and without any significant international support, (2) occupy that country without securing the borders and the ammo dumps; (3) disband that country's army without considering the consequences; (4) create the Mother Of All Terrorist Training Grounds in the process; and (5) still be involved in major combat operations nearly two-and-a-half years after he pranced around in a flight suit on an aircraft carrier declaring that major combat operations were over:

The U.S. military and Iraqi security forces launched two offensives Tuesday against insurgents in western Anbar province, military statements said.

Operation River Gate includes about 2,500 U.S. troops and 400 to 500 Iraqi security force soldiers.

Forces focused on the area around Haditha, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of Baghdad, but also will operate in the neighboring cities of Haqlaniya and Darwana.

"The operation's goal is to deny al Qaeda in Iraq the ability to operate in the three Euphrates River Valley cities and to free the local citizens from the insurgents' campaign of murder and intimidation of innocent women, children and men," a U.S. military statement said.

And by the way, five more American soldiers were killed in Iraq yesterday.