WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- A spokeswoman for President George W. Bush says the "Mission Accomplished" banner on a U.S. aircraft carrier in 2003 ago has been misinterpreted in the media.
The president's arrival by fighter jet on the USS Abraham Lincoln, and his speech on the carrier's deck -- with the banner as a backdrop -- on May 1, 2003, generated extensive favorable news coverage for Bush and the Iraq war effort. However, the image -- and Bush's proclamation that major combat operations in Iraq were over -- were somewhat contradicted within weeks as the insurgency heated up in Iraq and U.S. casualties mounted.
At a press briefing Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the banner should have stated clearly it was the Abraham Lincoln and its crew whose mission was accomplished.
"And we have certainly paid a price for not being more specific on that banner," Perino said. "And I recognize that the media is going to play this up again tomorrow, as they do every single year."
