World Affairs Board - View Single Post - House Democrats Offer Plan to Ban Use of 'Global War on Terror'

**Shek** · 04-04-2007, 14:06 PM

Interesting story. I agree that the name GWOT is a misnomer, and that something more definitive is required. I wonder what the reasoning behind this move is. If it's to develop a more fitting title, then I'm all for it. If it's a purely political move and instead uses titles that diminish the coordinated nature required of the effort, then it's a move in the wrong direction.

Quote:

FOXNews.com - House Democrats Offer Plan to Ban Use of 'Global War on Terror' - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum

House Democrats Offer Plan to Ban Use of 'Global War on Terror'
Wednesday, April 04, 2007

WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader John Boehner blasted a Democrat-backed plan on Wednesday to ban the use of "global War on Terror" and "long war" in the 2008 defense budget bill.

A memo sent to Democratic staffers on the House Armed Services Committee instructed the aides not to use the specific phrases, the Military Times newspaper reported.

Boehner accused Democrats of launching an "absurd effort to deny the fact that America is battling terrorism on a global scale," according to a statement released Wednesday by his office.

"How do Democrats expect America to fight and win a war they deny is even taking place?" Boehner said.

Democratic leaders in the House Armed Services Committee don't like the phrases and want defense policy to be more specific and "avoid using colloquialisms," according to the report.

The memo, sent out on March 27, calls for specific references to specific operations instead of phrases used by the Bush administration.

President Bush began using the "global War on Terror" phrase after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The memo offers replacement phrases such as "war in Iraq," "war in Afghanistan," "operations in the Horn of Africa" or "ongoing operations throughout the world."

Boehner said Democrats have a "dismal" national security record with efforts to push through non-binding resolutions against President Bush's Iraq plan, adding pork-barrel spending in unrelated legislation and leaving the nation's capital for a recess without passing legislation backed by the president with funding for U.S. troops.

"It's no wonder Democrats don't like the phrases 'global War on Terror,' they have completely failed to take the threat of global terrorism seriously," Boehner said.

Republicans weren't consulted about the changes, said Josh Holly, a spokesman for Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., ranking member of the committee.

FOX News' Molly Hooper contributed to this report.