New dispute in Congress centers on `terror' phrase

[maddezmom]

Source: Associated Press

New dispute in Congress centers on `terror' phrase
DEMOCRATS URGED NOT TO USE `GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM'
By Anne Flaherty
Associated Press
Article Launched: 04/05/2007 01:33:47 AM PDT



WASHINGTON - Democrats and Republicans are at odds on whether to use President Bush's catchall phrase "global war on terrorism" when talking about the billions of dollars spent each year in Iraq and elsewhere.

A new internal memo by a senior Democratic staff member urged aides to drop the term from their legislative dictionaries because it was too broad. The directive quickly led to a linguistic dispute between the parties.

"The attempt by Democrats to erase the words `global' and `terror' from our current war is an absurd effort to deny the fact that America is battling terrorism on a global scale," said House Republican leader Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio. "How do Democrats expect America to fight and win a war they deny is even taking place?"

At the heart of the debate is whether efforts in Iraq should be linked to the U.S. fight against Al-Qaida.

Bush used Al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 attacks as leading justifications for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, although intelligence officials later disputed the connection.

U.S. officials say some members of Al-Qaida


Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_5598491?source=rss

[The Sushi Bandit]

1. it is NOT a Global war On Terror!

that is akin to finding ants in your trash can and fumagating the house with a tent!
thats called OVERKILL!!!
we are NOT at WAR!
they want us to belive that it is in order to justify anything they want

[aquart]

5. Exactly. They want permanent war powers for permanent war.

Stuff the war on "terror."

Stuff the war on "drugs."

Enough already. Can the Republicans do anything except "war'? Because they suck at that.

[ixion]

6. yep, you said it

:applause:

[EST]

2. Now, if we could get the house and senate rules committees to

pass a rule that deliberately insulting other members on the floor is out-re the use of the intentionally provocative term "democrat party" -and make a point that whining about being mistreated while being insulting is no way to win cooperation, some bipartisanship might just result.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. It is an absurd effort to stop the endless lying.

And to bring reality back to the table.

[ixion]

4. there is no such thing as a 'war' on an abstract concept, such as 'terror'

you cannot eliminate 'terror' from the globe. It should never have been used in the first place.

[Lasher]

7. At odds? What's to be at odds about?

Elections have consequences. Publicans don't get to use legislation as billboards for their slogans any more. End of discussion. Get over it.

[sutz12]

8. The Repubs always seem to get to frame the language...

And the media accomodates them. :shrug:

[The Stranger]

9. It is actually a "GLOBAL WAR ON MUSLIMS, ARABS AND SOUTH ASIANS"

(Nearly every single one of whom never did a fucking thing to deserve being attacked, invaded, shocked and awed, illegally incarcerated, raped, tortured, interrogated, etc.)

Just call it what it is.

[rodeodance]

10. AP and other media just can't see to use the word LIE

[rodeodance]

11. Ike here:

Erin Conaton, the Democratic staff director of the House Armed Services Committee, urged aides in a March 27 memo to "avoid using colloquialisms," such as the "war on terrorism" or the "long war," and not to use the term "global war on terrorism." In preparing the annual defense authorization bill, the staff is directed to be more specific, such as referring to operations in Iraq.

Rep. Ike Skelton, the committee chairman and Conaton's boss, defended the memo.

"GOP objections to our efforts to clarify legislative language represent the typical Republican leadership attempt to tie together the misadventure in Iraq and the overall war against terrorists," Skelton, D-Mo., said in a statement Wednesday.

"The Iraq war is separate and distinct from the war against terrorists, who have their genesis in Afghanistan and who attacked us on 9/11, and the American people understand this," Skelton said.

The dispute also pointed out the tensions among lawmakers concerning the war debate. Congress adjourned last week for spring break after Democrats rammed through legislation that would fund the war in Iraq but order troops to begin coming home.