Make No Mistake: This Is War

[SWJED]

24 April NY Times - U.S. Command Shortens Life of ‘Long War’ as a Reference by Michael Gordon.

When the Bush administration has sought to explain its strategy for fighting terrorism, it has often said the United States is involved in a “long war” against Islamic extremists.

The phrase was coined by Gen. John P. Abizaid before he retired as head of the Central Command. It was intended to signal to the American public that the country was involved in a lengthy struggle that went well beyond the war in Iraq and was political as well as military.

It would be a test of wills against “Islamofascism,” as President Bush once put it. It would also be a historic challenge that spanned generations much like the battles against Communism.

As it turned out, however, the long war turned out to be surprisingly short-lived, at least at the command that pioneered the term. After taking over last month as the head of Central Command, Adm. William J. Fallon quietly retired the phrase...

[zenpundit]

Admiral Fallon is tacking to the political winds, which have shifted left here and in the UK as insiders in the Democratic and Labor party as well as the larger international relations elite hope that forcing a change of nomenclature will allow a quiet tightening of the military ROE to discourage " aggressive" engagement of terrorists and move al Qaida and related groups off the public's news radar.

It is a forlorn hope. The greater MENA belt of states are not weathering globalization very well, or demographic changes, or economic liberalization, or political liberalization...or..or..or ad infinitum. Except for a few bright spots, the region is awash in potential failed states and pent-up frustrations of underemployed young men from good families with educations that they cannot use on top of legions of semi-illiterates for whom the future holds even less.

This societal disintegration intersects with the increasing ideological radicalization of each "generation" of Islamist terrorists and religious militants already gravitating to strong Takfiri positions. What's next ? Apocalyptic Mahdism ?

Changing labels to reduce friction is one thing, searching for euphamisms to deny reality for short-term political dividends courts disaster down the road. Islamist movements may not represent an existential challenge in the same sense as did Moscow, but as a threat it is serious enough. It is also here to stay.

[tequila]

Beats "Islamofascism" and other stupidities.

[goesh]

...those engaged in not liking us, or how about those struggling to reconcile differences with the West? Both sound culturally relevant, even lovely to me. If Bush doesn't veto the bill just passed by the Senate, we can call them the Unbeatables. Binny and the Unbeatables, a new name for AQ and those actively engaged in supporting his ideology, but it almost sounds like a heavy metal band. You have to admit the names makes it easier to pretend such people can be marginalized, even negotiated with and dealt with in a civilized manner.