Document drop: Whitewashing the “Global War on Terror” out of existence
Yesterday, the Washington Post reported on the Obama administration’s vehement denial that it is backing away from the phrase “Global War on Terror.” The phrase has long been a source of debate and rancor – not just on the left, but also on our side because it omits the important, specific context of global jihad and dhimmitude that we are supposed to be combatting.
Still, “Global War on Terror” is far superior to what the Obama White House has concocted. Despite the denials, military officials have gotten their instructions. A military source forwarded me an internal e-mail trail that illuminates the whitewashing. So long, “Global War on Terror.” Hello, [blank].
To quote from one of the messages below: “There is no ‘replacement’ term offered.”
***
—–Original Message—–
From: Sholtis, Tadd Lt Col SAF/PAO
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 10:22 AM
Subject: Status of “GWOT”
Sir/Ma’am-The SAF/PAO press desk has received numerous queries from the field this week about whether “Global War on Terrorism” or “GWOT” remains an acceptable term and, if not, what replaced it. At this point, I would not expect an announcement from on high that will provide clarity on this issue in the near future. We will notify you if that changes.
The story in today’s Washington Post…accurately captures the current status of the terminology debate.
About the best we can say right now is that the long decline of “GWOT” as a useful term of reference appears to be speeding up, particularly in interagency and Congressional communication; however, some kind of big announcement on an official switch is unlikely, since it tends to draw the ire of critics who insist we remain at war (recent example, http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=9116). So “GWOT” may just die a slow and quiet death.
Therefore, if units are being pushed to provide guidance to commanders, the PAO recommendation is that there’s no need to update existing documents to eliminate GWOT, but future documents should avoid or at least minimize use of the term. In addition to “overseas contingency operations”-which was an improvised term during this year’s debate on budget supplements-there are enough concise, plain-English descriptions (”current operations,” “operations in Afghanistan and Iraq,” “today’s joint fight,” “irregular warfare,” etc.) that there’s no urgent need for a new acronym. Airmen should be able to explain themselves in writing or speaking in a way that doesn’t require continued reference to either “GWOT” or an official replacement.
V/R
Tadd
Lt Col Tadd Sholtis
Deputy Chief, Current Operations
Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs
—-Original Message—–
From: Severns, John Capt USAF AETC HQAETC/PAO
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 10:45 AM
Cc: AETC PA ALL
Subject: I can’t believe it’s not GWOT!
AETC PA Team,
Please see the guidance below from SAF/PA regarding the use of the term “Global War on Terror” in your products.
BLUF: You may leave the term in old or existing documents. New products should seek to use other terms. Possible terms include the popular-but-unwieldy “Overseas Contingency Operations,” as well as old standbys like “Current Operations,” “Today’s Joint Fight,” and “Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Please let us know if you have any questions whatsoever.
v/r,
John Severns
Capt. John Severns
AETC Public Affairs
—–Original Message—–
From: Woodward, George R Civ USAF AETC 82 TRW/PA
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 10:50 AM
Subject: FW: Use of “GWOT” terminology
Sir–
Thought this might be of interest. We’re getting guidance to move away from use of “Global War on Terror” terminology. I left the whole trail attached, but the bottom line is that we’re supposed to stop using the term, but don’t have to pull it from existing documents. There is no “replacement” term
offered.
V/R
George Woodward
Director, Public Affairs
—–Original Message—–
From: Rosales, Rebecca A Civ USAF AETC 363 TRS/CCS
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 11:05 AM
To: All 363 TRS Personnel
Subject: FW: Use of “GWOT” terminology
All,
//Signed//
REBECCA A. ROSALES
363 TRS/CCS
520 Missile Rd, Bldg 1025
Sheppard AFB TX 76311-2261
—–Original Message—–
From: Wilson, Stella T Civ USAF AETC 82 TRW/CCS
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 10:54 AM
To: All 82 TRW Secretaries; All 82 TRW Executive Officers
Cc: Norsworthy, David W Col USAF AETC 82 TRW/CV; Mannon, Otis G BrigGen USAF
AETC 82 TRW/CC; Sallinger, Kenneth W CMSgt USAF AETC 82 TRW/CCC; Albrecht,
Bryan S SSgt USAF AETC 82 TRW/CCCE
Subject: FW: Use of “GWOT” terminology
ALCON — please see the below concerning the use of GWOT.
v/r
Stella Wilson
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Today’s Surfing Map « Conservative Review
- Global War on Terror term is a ‘bad’ now, yet there is no ‘replacement’?
- No War on Terror; No, Wait: I Like To Know What I’m Talking About! « Peace and Freedom Global Future
- signal response » Blog Archive » Perhaps you would rather Terror-B-Gone.
- The Nondescript Something We May or May Not be Doing Involving People That We Misunderstand Initiative | The Great Illuminator
- War On Terror’s New, Improved, and Terrifying Name « Red Dot in a Red State’s Blog
- This ain’t Hell, but you can see it from here » Blog Archive » This explains the black Crown Vic parked out front
- CALL IT WHAT IT IS: WAR ON TERROR « Dianej’s Weblog
- Crisis? What Crisis? Barack Obama is partying it up coast to coast, baby!
- Michelle Malkin » “The Obama-Matic (TM) Content-Free Euphemism Generator”
- BizzyBlog » Lucid Links (041409)
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: War
Big Government
» BREAKING: San Diego ACORN Document Dump Scandal
Villainous Company
» Amateur Hour in the Oval Office Continues....Big Government
» Why Isn’t Anyone Really Investigating ACORN?Big Government
» ACORN Scandal, Part 2: The Evidentiary PhaseMudville Gazette
» War costs money (2)Green Room
» Going Un-Framed?Mudville Gazette
» Surrender, he whispered
If the POTUSINO were honest, he and his cohorts would simply call it “Bush’s War” – after all, “I blame B-o-o-o-o-s-h!” still seems to be the rallying cry.
So long Global War on Terror. Hello Obama’s Personal War on Capitalism and the American Way!
Just my two cents!
Our men and women in uniform have much more important things to concern themselves with than this political groupspeak nonsense.
According to Pentagon Press Secretary, its the:
CAEWWTDUH.
I am sure it will grow on you. Just give it same time.
Since there is no GWOT, Pelosi can give up her military jet. It’s use was put in place to protect the Speaker after 9/11.
Pathetic.
the “duh” part seems fitting
can’t find moderate Taliban? duh!
jihads want to cut your head off for fun and prophet? duh!
letting american GI’s do their work actually, like, works? duh!
Yeah, the DUH part seems appropriate.
Well, MNBSC’s creedo is “Look Mom, No Bombs, No News!” This terminology dilution goes hand-in-hand with diminishing Iraq (and any progress the U.S. promoted there) as a “mistake”. Because of the low causalities compared Viet Nam, I can can see pols and schools pushing the whole Iraq campaign out of sight and mind into a radar-blip of a bush war. We need a couple of planeloads of Iraqi (and children) testifying before Congress of how rosy Iraq was before 2003, and now we’ve a formerly clueless majority population there who doesn’t see Americans as devils, and will serve as a unspoken role of acting as Afghanistan’s overlooking “big brother” over there so the quasi-democratized Afghans (and their women) needn’t go it all alone surrounded by Islamic lions.
James Greenidge
Queens, NY
So will Barry’s new “Department of Healthcare” be the D’OH?
I don’t care what bho says we are suppose to call the rop, I still call them terrorists.
L
I’ve always considered calling it teh GWOT was akin to calling the war in Europe The European War in Blitzkrieg. Like blitzkrieg, terror is a weapon and not the ideology that we are fighting.
Might I suggest “The War On Islamic Jihad”. Or just “The War to Preserve Our Judeo/Christian Way of Life.”
How can you defeat an enemy if you won’t even name them?
The Best fighting men and women in our armed forces will kick butt no matter what the PC Odopey admin decides to call it.
Another war broke out Nov.4th from inside our borders, specifically the White House, called…..
“Barack Odopey Operation Bankrupt”
B.O.O.B.
I’m sure we will all “feel hope” because of euphemisms as we die.
Nope, no wars going on here. Move along now.
O/T – We are fighting the War on Water here in my state, and it’s not looking good. If it’s your thing, please send up a few prayers.
How about we call it the “Global We’ll Be Nice Guys And You Won’t Kill Us – Not” (GWBNAYWKU-N) campaign?
I know GWBNAYWKU-N is hard to pronounce as an acronym, so just call it the Gobbledygook campaign.
From the Wikipedia definition of gobbledygook:
Nixon’s Oval Office tape from June 14 shows H. R. Haldeman describing the situation to Nixon.
“To the ordinary guy, all this is a bunch of gobbledygook. But out of the gobbledygook comes a very clear thing: you can’t trust the government; you can’t believe what they say; and you can’t rely on their judgment. And the implicit infallibility of presidents, which has been an accepted thing in America, is badly hurt by this, because it shows that people do things the President wants to do even though it’s wrong, and the President can be wrong.”
Former United States President Ronald Reagan explained tax law revisions in an address to the nation, 28 May 1985:
“Most (tax revisions) didn’t improve the system, they made it more like Washington itself: complicated, unfair, cluttered with gobbledygook and loopholes designed for those with the power and influence to hire high-priced legal and tax advisers.”
from his 1st 65 days in office, I’d say you have it just about right.
OT, but…
tell me again why we’d need legislation for this?
We don’t. Bachmann just likes to bring the crazy.
Your right, no need to waste anymore money on Mz. Piglousi than necessary.
Thought it would be common sense.
Or redundant–like that stupid ‘equal rights amendment’ (ERA)
Call it what the left believes it to be: The New Crusade.
Semantic hope&change will also apply no doubt to history. World War II is now “The Global Disfunctional Event”.
Why don’t we just call it what it is.
Defending ourselves from crazed Islamic murderous pieces of human trash.
“Mohamed the Teddy Bear War”
“Overseas contingency operations.”
Feh.
Haha Thanks AJ but maybe we better not let Bear hear that one!
LOL
Global surrender campaign.
What frustrates me no end is that these morons want GWOT to “die from neglect”! Not one of the morons in BO’s admin seems to understand that our enemies are not playing the same game!
New “Department of Progressive Education”. DOPE.
You can’t. That’s the point; No enemy…or that’s what they’d have us believe.
FWUAWWHYADAKY* is what we should have been using all along.
Hope is not a plan; not all change is good. WE are the civilian national security force. The resistance is here; the resistance is now. RESIST!!!!!
ECS
*(F&#* With Us And We Will Hunt Your A$$ Down And Kill You)
What’s next.. replacing suicide bomber with pyrotechnic population controller?
How about:
Euphemistic Prostration to Islamic Caliphates Fatwa Against Incipient Liberty
or
EPIC FAIL
Don’t know if you are a military aviator, but you sound like one, minus the blue air! LMBO
Oops, forgot to reprimand you, Aviator, for not being PC! Shame! /sarc
Renaming the Global War on Terror is a multiple edged sword in the hands of a liberal administration.
Keep in mind that publicly Liberals may be gutless, spineless, weasels, but when it comes time to divert attention from their political shenanigans nothing diverts the ADD riddled MSM like the blood of a young soldier spilled in a “noble cause”. And of course liberating Iraqis as we all know is not a noble cause, but getting shot up by Somali street thugs under the command of Bin Laden is.
Renaming the Global war on Terror to an Overseas Contingency Operation is so nonspecific Obama will easily be able to divert manpower, equipment, and money away from killing terrorists and freeing oppressed Afghanis to helping his crazy uncle in Kenya slaughter Christians.
One Contingency Operation is as good as the next and you don’t have that awful specific goal, like “War on Terror” to keep you from turning the US military into your private toy.
Whatever the new term shall be, I hope you all remember one thing: many of us will still deploy to fight this war. A new name doesn’t change anything, other than remove this war from the forefront of our citizens’ minds (if that’s actually anymore possible than where we are now). It’s all a shell game. For example, the President may bring home a brigade, but he’ll send 4-5 thousand troops in their place to be “advisors” or “trainers” or “support staff”… Then there will be those souls who actually close with and destroy this enemy, so long as they are charged to do it.
“Espionage is not a nice thing, nor are the methods employed exemplary. Neither are demolition bombs nor poison gas…. We face an enemy who believes one of his chief weapons is that none but he will employ terror. But we will turn terror against him…”
~William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan, founder of OSS
I don’t care what they call it, as long as its logo is of the airplane hitting the second trade tower while the first one burns.
Where do you get your news? The cries for “world wide monetary system” are coming from China, EU, UN, ad infinitum! With what they’re doing to our dollar, I can’t say as I blame them!
They have it covered. First Hillary gives Bin Laden a big red button that says “overcharged”. Then The One talks to his “moderate Taliban” buds and says, “No war dude, its like uh uh uh a contingency.” Fist bumps all around and were good.
God I pray somebody in the real world can get Dear Leader’s ear.
Global War on Terror? No such thing. 9/11 was an inside job wasn’t it? Or was it the Jews? One of those. Nice little muslim jihadist would not do such a thing, they just want R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Trust He Whose Middle Name in Hussein and the J-No Napolitano to keep us safe. Trust. Throw Hillary in there and I bet you get a Thrill Up Your Leg-or is that taken? Nothing warms the cockles of my heart more then to see our military, under President Obama, off to foreign shores to defend us in Overseas Contingency Operations.
Hankie please.
Global Community Organizing
I reaad elsewhere it’s because Geithner suggested yesterday that aspects of China’s push for a global currency were not without merit.
One side of the coin could have Mao’s smiling face, the reverse could have Timmy bending over.
As far as renaming the “War on Terror”, why didn’t Li’l BO turn it into a contest, with folks submitting new names via his new online “townhall” meeting? So far, “Overseas Contingency Operations” doesn’t really roll off the tongue. How about “Dustup with Differently-Opinionated RPG-Enabled Males of Swarthy Complexion” or “Mission to Forestall the Poor Aircraft Landing Skills of Aggrieved Foreign Nationals”?
With Obambi in power, it will soon be the American War on Terror anyway….
And when they detonate a dirty bomb in downtown LA next summer: “This is an isolated explosive incident involving some radioactive material. There is no known link to anything. The FBI is investigating.”
Jamie Gorelick? Jamie? Where’s Jamie? Oh, I know, she’s counting her Freddie Mac bonus money. Sweet! I just love all this Obama Hope-N-Change.
typical leftist crap, don’t deal with a situation, define it away and ignore it. like racists for people who oppose illegal immigrants having more rights than americans, so we have to make them americans. done. war on terror, there is no terror because there are no terrorists, just misunderstood youths with a bad attitude towards the u.s. because of bush, so now we have obama and situation solved, ignore it. defined properly, democrats can cure all evils. next they will ban the terms cancer and heart attacks and aids, and voila, instant healthcare reform.
This is what you get when cowardice rules a country.
TO: All Commands
SUBJECT: Use of GWOT
1) The acromymn GWOT is no longer authorized effective immediately.
2) All commnands will immediately begin use of a new, less offensive, term upon receipt of this message.
3) The new acronymn will be ATTA. (Assist Terrorists to Afterlife.
OUT!
Jet Jaguar said:
Global Community Organizing
I like it. We send ACORN over to organize the Talaban into a community service group. Bye bye ACORN.
“The Virgin Wars”
Never understood the whole Virgin thing, they treat their women like crap and don’t even like em around.
What are they going to do with 72?
Use them as Human Bowling Pins?
I’ve heard that acts of terror will hereafter be called “man-caused disasters.” The problem with this, of course, is that it does not distinguish whether the act is volitional or not. Chernobyl and Love Canal, to cite a couple of examples, are also man-caused disasters, but not terrorism. So, if you find a man-caused smoking hole where your city used to be, it may qualify as a superfund site and you can pursue relief through the civil court system. At least that’s how I read it.
It never was a Global War on terrorism since the majority of the countries decided to idly sit by and let the US and Britin do all the work. Like always.
How about the slogan: “Kill Them First”, or KTF for short? Too politically incorrect?
New Baracktionary
So the Normal American know what’s really going on…
Obama can pull the trigger but it would still be Bush’s fault. 100 years from now it will still be Bush’s fault. I believe Obama signed the Stimulus and Porkulus bills. Those have his name on them and they are Obamas fault….
From the point of the terrorist, the actions he commits are for God, not an act of terrorism. Is this why Obama doesn’t want to call them terrorists anymore?
*Typical 9/10 Clintonesqe foolishness; I don’t care what they call it, but with this approach, many Americans will surely die and I just hope voters remember who it will be with blood on their hands; We are dealing with a 7th century invented religion led by death cult savages; I call them the way I see them, and I ask only that freedom loving people in the world unite to destroy them; There is no other option!
With all the word changing, I’m guessing they just forgot to send out the memo noting that “Death” and “Destruction” were to be replaced with “Hope” and “Change”
I earned the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal as well as the Service Medal.
I will keep them. GWOT is correct. BHO can stuff it.
I wonder what the name will be when the terrorists bomb the living crap out of us because of the pantywaist pols the sheeple elected. Obama sends a love letter to Iran and they responds with their populace chanting death to America. What a crock of Pelosi.
Revolution continues to brew ever more briskly…
…what will break the camel’s back…
I am so ready.
Just to be clear bjc, by them are you talking about muslim extremists or liberals?
War is horrible and should be invoked only as a last resort. I’ve never liked the idea of declaring war on terror, poverty, drugs, etc. Nations wage war on nations – not emotions. If a nation is not able to stop a “terrorist” attacking us then they should accept our “help” to do so. If they do not accept this help or if they are aiding and abetting the terrorist, then that nation risks our wrath.
We get in and get it done, then get out.
A carte blanche approach to war against a vaguely defined objective such as “terror” insures that we will always be at war. Terror can never by stopped, but government will grow past all bounds in trying (which is what they want). Anything and everything the government does will be justified “in the interests of national security”.
Not speaking for him, but yes.
Was Yasser Arafat a terrorist?
I say yes.
Though he was allowed to die peacefully in his sleep. Pres Bush was emphatic about bringing terrorist to justice, but he was inconsistent in the application of the GWOT.
In this case, I want deeds and not words. Whatever the heck you call it, I want Osama Bin Laden’s head on a stick.
Call it fluffy, call it America gets ‘Butch’, call it spank the jihadists, it does not matter as long as we eliminate those who want to do us harm.
Words versus deeds, I’ll take deeds.
Yassir Arafat died of AIDS.
Definitely the Jews got to him. Had nothing to do with him doing lots of little boys and teenagers. No sir-ree!
From the same article:
Those evil Jews…LOL
I saw on Fox it’s going to be called the Ongoing Overseas Contingency.
Oh! AJM, I know why — I’m surprised nobody’s explained before now!
Your confusion is common, and due to a poor translation!
In the 1st English translation, a a single word was accidently dropped by the translator!
Being a jihadi himself, he felt it “went without saying” so why include a redundant word?
The correctly translated phrase is
I’m sure it all makes perfect sense now…
Walterc: Muslim extremists cannot be converted, however, muslim extremists will eventually convert liberals into freedom loving people; Ron Silver comes to mind.
“Overseas Contingency Operations”
should be
“Largely Overseas Contingency Operations”
LOCO
or (in case you’re not sure what ‘contingency’ means)
Overseas Something Incidental to a Thing Operations.
OSITO or OSITATO (long form)
lastly,
per Mark Steyn (bless his heart)
Weak Horse Rhetoric-
I might add….
WHR – sounds like….. whore.
“Overseas Contingency Operation” ….. sounds like what happens when the airlines lose your luggage!?!?!
This is SO easy folks. We had the GWOT. Now it will simply be referred to as:
TWFKATGWOT: The War Formerly Known As The Global War On Terror.
Duh.
“Overseas Contingency Operations”So what will they call it when an American city blows up?
Tell these guys it was just a Contingency Operation.
http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/iraq.html
http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/afghanistan.html
The last Three Years I spent before retirement was in Iraq and Afghanistan.
28 years three wars for me and the Punk Pretender in Chief does not like the word War or understand Terror?
Ask the Punk Assed Pretender in Chief
We can just shorten that to this.
chapoutier: Thank the 3% of Americans that are currently keeping You Safe for a change. Most of them are Deployed right now.
Send your address. They may want to deliver some flowers or something else.
It won’t grow on me, but if you want to borrow a razor blade to scrape off the new and unncessary Obama version off your conscience, I ‘ll be happy to lend you one
World War IV. World War T (Terrorism).
Any thing will do.
But remember that past wars were named by the press. This one found the press absent.
Funny about that. The charity I have contributed the most to this year happens to be one that sends care packages to deployed troops. That on top of the ones my wife and I personally send to my brother in law in Iraq, as well as paying for all refills on his calling card so he can talk to my sister and nieces as often as he wants.
So it’s safe to assume at least a few of them have my address.
Thanks for doing that, Chap…
Would you believe whitewashing freedom?
None of this surprises me.He believes in Rev Wright’s statements of chickens coming home to roost.He believes it’s our fault that we were attacked.
Yes, she can just fly commercial from now on. There should be plenty of openings in the business section.
Why would any conservative be bothered that they aren’t calling it a ‘war on terror’? The phrase is a total freakin’ lie. Good riddance of that stupid name.
It’s a war on fundamentalist islam. Nothing more, nothing less.
Nothing more needs to be said.
Ostrich… Head… Sand.