Analysis: U.S. changes Iraq war vocabulary

WASHINGTON: When President George W. Bush has sought to explain his strategy for fighting terrorism, he has often said that the United States is involved in a "long war" against Islamic extremists...

It would be a test of wills against "Islamic fascism," as Bush once famously 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 U.S. Central Command, Admiral William Fallon quietly retired the phrase. "The long war" is out.

So, for that matter, is "Islamofascist," "jihadist" and "Salafist extremist network," which have also quietly fallen out of favor at the command.

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