The war "with" Iraq - This bugs the heck out of me

I've noticed this phrasing a lot lately on the news shows. The commentator or even the news reader will say the war WITH Iraq instead of the war in Iraq. It may seem petty to some, but in this case, I think language matters.

Constant usage of the phrase puts it in some heads that Iraq is the enemy and we are at war with Iraq and the people of Iraq. I think I could go so far as to say that it might even make some people less sympathetic to atrocities ( "they are the enemy after all")

There is not much I can do about it, except that now every time I hear the phase, I'm going to pop off an e-mail and point it out. I'm starting with CNN, as hearing it a few minutes ago made me write this post.

It was never a declared as a war.

It is a military occupation...a police action if you will.

War has not been officially declared by any nation since World War 2. Yet there have been 145 armed conflicts around the world.

There is nothing in the definition of "war" that equals legitimacy. Prolonged armed conflict between two nations is war no matter how it began or if it was declared.

ago to phrase it properply cause of something I read on DU. It's the "War On Iraq".

to the wishes of the US elite. Not surprising corporate media is of the same mindset.

e-mail a DU type rant to CNN.

Here is my e-mail

I just heard Carol Lin use the phrase "war with Iraq". She is not the only news person to say this, but it did prompt me to write.
Please, language is important. We are not at war with Iraq. We have a war in Iraq, but we are not at war with the government or the people there.
Using the phase "with Iraq" makes it seems like they are our enemy.

I don't want to psychoanalyze too much, but by putting this thinking in peoples mind, it might make some less sympathetic to the civilians there.

Thank you
XXXXXXXXX

credit for figuring it out), but it certainly is accurate. Which country did we invade and occupy uninvited? Who are we fighting and killing if not the Iraqi people? We most definitely are at war "with Iraq" and have been for three years.

Which is completely misleading - they don't worry much about getting things right though; otherwise we wouldn't even be in Iraq. :hi:

they won the war against saddam and his army years ago, saddam has been in jail for a long time, why are we still there again?