President's Speech: Something Missing

Here is the following, in its whole, the speech President Bush made marking the start of the fifth year of the Iraq war.  See if you can find something that stands out.....because its NOT there!

 
     THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  Four years ago today, coalition forces 
  launched Operation Iraqi Freedom to remove Saddam Hussein from power.  They 
  did so to eliminate the threat his regime posed to the Middle East and to the 
  world.  Coalition forces carried out that mission with great courage and 
  skill.  Today the world is rid of Saddam Hussein and a tyrant has been held to 
  account for his crimes by his own people. 
   
  
  
 
     Nearly 12 million Iraqis have voted in free elections under a democratic 
  constitution that they wrote for themselves.  And their democratic leaders are 
  now working to build a free society that upholds the rule of law, that 
  respects the rights of its people, that provides them security and is an ally 
  in the war on terror. 
   
  
  
 
     At this point in the war, our most important mission is helping the Iraqis 
  secure their capital.  Until Baghdad's citizens feel secure in their own homes 
  and neighborhoods, it will be difficult for Iraqis to make further progress 
  toward political reconciliation or economic rebuilding, steps necessary for 
  Iraq to build a democratic society. 
   
  
  
 
     So with our help, Iraq's government is carrying out an aggressive plan to 
  secure Baghdad.  And we're continuing to train the Iraqi security forces so 
  that they ultimately take full responsibility for the security of their own 
  people. 
   
  
  
 
     I've just received an update on the situation from Iraqi Prime Minister 
  Maliki.   My conversation with the Prime Minister followed a briefing earlier 
  this morning that included Secretary Rice and Secretary Gates, along with 
  General Petraeus and Ambassador Khalilzad, who participated by video 
  conference from Iraq. 
   
  
  
 
     Prime Minister Maliki and General Petraeus emphasized that the Baghdad 
  security plan is still in its early stages, and success will take months, not 
  days or weeks.  Yet, those on the ground are seeing some hopeful signs.  The 
  Iraqi government has completed the deployment of three Iraqi army brigades to 
  the capital, where they've joined the seven Iraqi army brigades and nine 
  national police brigades that were already in the area. 
   
  
  
 
     The Iraqi government has also lifted restrictions that once prevented 
  Iraqi and coalition forces from going into areas like SadrCity.  American and 
  Iraqi forces have established joint security stations.  Those stations are 
  scattered throughout Baghdad and they're helping Iraqis reclaim their 
  neighborhoods from the terrorists and extremists. 
   
  
  
 
     Together, we've carried out aggressive operations against both Shia and 
  Sunni extremists; carried out operations against al Qaeda terrorists.   We've 
  uncovered large caches of weapons and destroyed two major car bomb factories 
  that were located on the outskirts of Baghdad. 
   
  
  
 
     I want to stress that this operation is still in the early stages, it's 
  still in the beginning stages.  Fewer than half of the troop reinforcements we 
  are sending have arrived in Baghdad.  The new strategy will need more time to 
  take effect.  And there will be good days, and there will be bad days ahead as 
  the security plan unfolds. 
   
  
  
 
     As we help the Iraqis secure their capital, their leaders are also 
  beginning to meet the benchmarks they have laid out for political 
  reconciliation.  Last month, Iraq's Council of Ministers approved a law that 
  would share oil revenues among Iraqi people.  The Iraqi legislature passed a 
  $41 billion budget that includes $10 billion for reconstruction and capital 
  improvements.  And last week, Prime Minister Maliki visited Ramadi, a city in 
  the Sunni heartland, to reach out to local Sunni tribal leaders. 
   
  
  
 
     There's been good progress.  There's a lot more work to be done, and 
  Iraq's leaders must continue to work to meet the benchmarks that have set 
  forward. 
   
  
  
 
     As Iraqis work to keep their commitments, we have important commitments of 
  our own.  Members of Congress are now considering an emergency war spending 
  bill.  They have a responsibility to ensure that this bill provides the funds 
  and the flexibility that our troops need to accomplish their mission.  They 
  have a responsibility to pass a clean bill that does not use funding for our 
  troops as leverage to get special interest spending for their districts.  And 
  they have a responsibility to get this bill to my desk without strings and 
  without delay. 
   
  
  
 
     It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best 
  option is to pack up and go home.  That may be satisfying in the short run, 
  but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating.  If 
  American forces were to step back from Baghdad before it is more secure, a 
  contagion of violence could spill out across the entire country.  In time, 
  this violence could engulf the region.  The terrorists could emerge from the 
  chaos with a safe haven in Iraq to replace the one they had in Afghanistan, 
  which they used to plan the attacks of September the 11th, 2001.  For the 
  safety of the American people, we cannot allow this to happen. 
   
  
  
 
     Prevailing in Iraq is not going to be easy.   General Petraeus says that 
  the environment in Iraq is the most challenging that he has seen in his more 
  than 32 years of service.  He also says that he has been impressed by the 
  professionalism and the skill and determination of our men and women in 
  uniform.  He sees in our troops "a true will to win and a sincere desire to 
  help our Iraqi partners achieve success." 
   
  
  
 
     Four years after this war began, the fight is difficult, but it can be 
  won.  It will be won if we have the courage and resolve to see it through. 
  I'm grateful to our servicemen and women for all they've done and for the 
  honor they brought to their uniform and their country.  I'm grateful to our 
  military families for all the sacrifices they have made for our country.  We 
  also hold in our hearts the good men and women who've given their lives in 
  this struggle.  We pray for the loved ones they have left behind. 
   
  
  
 
     The United States military is the most capable and courageous fighting 
  force in the world.  And whatever our differences in Washington, our troops 
  and their families deserve the appreciation and the support of our entire 
  nation. 
   
      Thank you. 
   
      END 
      11:38 A.M. EDT 
   
  
  

 
  
Well, what would it be my friends?  SHOULD have been in the very first paragraph. 
 
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.still no?
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.
  
.WMD!  Weapons of Mass Destruction, Mushroom Cloud, Biological and Chemical Weapons, ANY of these would have been correct (as well as all of them). 
  

technorati tags:Bush, Speech, Something, Missing

Blogged with Flock