For reasons having to do with international law, President Bush cannot yet officially state that the war in Iraq is over.
In his recent speech, he said America had been successful, but didn't go so far as to call it "victory."

Of course, everyone this side of Baghdad Bob (Saddam's old disinformation minister) knows that that is exactly what it was: an unambiguous, out-of-the-ballpark, first-class triumph.

Few military victories have been as swift, decisive - and one-sided.

America and its allies invaded a country some 8,000 miles away and toppled a resisting regime - suffering remarkably few casualties and causing minimal collateral damage in the process.
...
The New York Times quotes a "senior Pentagon official": "What you want to do now is very different than in '91 . . . These are not victory parades or events. These are recognition for the troops - and to say thanks to the American people for supporting them."

Apparently, there is a fear that calling a parade a "victory" march would seem like gloating to the rest of the world.

Well, nuts to them.

This was a military campaign to disarm a mad dictator - and liberate a people.

The goals were met.

End of discussion.

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