-
Obama Abandons 'War on Terror' Catchphrase
The Associated Press notes that only once since taking office on Jan. 20 has President Barack Obama used the phrase "war on terror," which was always on the lips of President George W. Bush. Obama has instead more broadly referenced the "enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism."
Anthony Cordesman, a Canadian Security Intelligence Service national security analyst, notes that Bush's phrase became "became associated in the minds of many people outside the Unites States, and particularly in places where the countries are largely Islamic and Arab, as being anti-Islam and anti-Arab."
Indeed, a Pentagon-funded study last year recommended that the United States do away with the terminology because the strategy behind it was "not successful in undermining al-Qaida's capabilities."
Stay up to date with the latest AlterNet headlines via email
