Britain stops talk of 'war on terror' (i am not sure Bush himself invented

[rodeodance]

the phase but it is associated with him).



http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1968668,00.html

Britain stops talk of 'war on terror'


Foreign Office has asked ministers to ditch the phrase invented by Bush to avoid stirring up tensions within the Islamic world

Jason Burke
Sunday December 10, 2006
The Observer

Cabinet ministers have been told by the Foreign Office to drop the phrase 'war on terror' and other terms seen as liable to anger British Muslims and increase tensions more broadly in the Islamic world.

The shift marks a turning point in British political thinking about the strategy against extremism and underlines the growing gulf between the British and American approaches to the continuing problem of radical Islamic militancy. It comes amid increasingly evident disagreements between President George Bush and Tony Blair over policy in the Middle East.

Experts have welcomed the move away from one of the phrases that has most defined the debate on Islamic extremism, but called it 'belated'.

'It's about time,' said Garry Hindle, terrorism expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London. 'Military terminology is completely counter-productive, merely contributing to isolating communities. This is a very positive move.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said the government wanted to 'avoid reinforcing and giving succour to the terrorists' narrative by using language that, taken out of context, could be counter-productive'. The same message has been sent to British diplomats and official spokespeople around the world.

'We tend to emphasise upholding shared values as a means to counter terrorists,' he added.

...........

[nebenaube]

1. * didn't coin the phrase... Goering did!

At least I think this is true. Hitler rose on a war against terror. The only difference was that his 'terrorists' were jewish.

[kenny blankenship]

2. Time for a new installment (part 4) in the BBC Doc. 'The Power of Nightmares'

what would part 4 be subtitled? The Nightmare Is Put To Sleep ?

[sweetheart]

3. "the nightmare goes underground."

The name goes, the war stays, big victory for PR.

[yurbud]

4. GUARDIAN: Britain stops talk of 'war on terror'

What is a petulant spoiled brat to do when even his best friends don't bother to say his lies are true anymore?

Most welcome is the reason they are doing so, which critics of the Bush approach have said all along: Calling it the "War on Terror" elevates the few thousand people who do this crap to equals with actual states, a lot of prestige and respect they can use to recruit.

Better to talk about them like criminals, even when we occasionally need to ramp up our efforts to a real war on terror (not the Bush PR with terror alerts and checking breast milk for explosives).

Britain stops talk of 'war on terror'

Jason Burke
Sunday December 10, 2006
The Observer

Cabinet ministers have been told by the Foreign Office to drop the phrase 'war on terror' and other terms seen as liable to anger British Muslims and increase tensions more broadly in the Islamic world.

The shift marks a turning point in British political thinking about the strategy against extremism and underlines the growing gulf between the British and American approaches to the continuing problem of radical Islamic militancy. It comes amid increasingly evident disagreements between President George Bush and Tony Blair over policy in the Middle East.

<snip>

'It's about time,' said Garry Hindle, terrorism expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London. 'Military terminology is completely counter-productive, merely contributing to isolating communities. This is a very positive move.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said the government wanted to 'avoid reinforcing and giving succour to the terrorists' narrative by using language that, taken out of context, could be counter-productive'. The same message has been sent to British diplomats and official spokespeople around the world.


FULL TEXT:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1968668,00.html

[Erika]

5. Timothy McVeigh was a terrorist. Ding dong the WOT is dead

And W should be impeached. Extremism has always existed. W saw a shot at taking over the ME and profiting his buds like they've never seen profit before. He took it, paid for by U.S. troops.

W should be impeached.

[yurbud]

6. well said. At best, 9/11 guys got off an epicly lucky shot. At worst, the problem is closer to

home, wears a tie, and sends their lobbyist to order up wars and the pretexts to start them.

[CJCRANE]

7. I have a feeling W

used the phrase in his speech on 9/11...

I distinctly remember him saying "this is the first war of the 21st century", as though he had a few more already planned...

[Bandit]

8. 'Military terminology is completely counter-productive, merely contributing to isolating communities

Duhhh.

[The Stranger]

9. Declaring "War" on an emotion was always such a transparently vacuous lie.

How did they buy it for so long?

[rail]

10. an unfortunate literal use of a metaphorical term

Elevating what should be a subject of police action and tactics to the status of a 'war' (with requisite bestowal of war powers on the president, use of the military, congressional declaration, etc.) was always a tremendous error. Among other reasons, the military is less agile than police forces, and not suited to act/readapt as quickly as terror groups can, or provide as long a term of focus (especially our military, designed for quick brief assaults). When all you're using the military as your only operational unit (as in a "war", thus no conceding yourself from diplomatic means), everything starts looking in need of a "military solutions," i.e., countries to invade (akin to the old adage, when all you have is hammers, every problem starts looking like a nail). Plus, "wars" are typically declared on other nation states; did we really need to equate relativley less organized, limited-agenda punk terror groups to the stature of nations? You can't defeat a tactic--desperate people will always consider utilizing it; hence it is near impossible to "win" a war on terror, or a "war" on, say, jaywalking or graffitti for that matter.

I always assumed the press and public would eventualy treat it like other metaphoric 'wars', e.g., "the war on drugs." Somehow I don't recall reagan claiming "war powers" after declaring the "war on drugs."