Civil Conflict? Ethnic War? Sectarian Turmoil?

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It seems like Rumsfeld & Bush can't quite bring themselves to call it a Civil War:
President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld have steadfastly refused to call the situation in Iraq a civil war, although Rumsfeld at a news conference on Wednesday acknowledged that the violence is increasing.
Hat tip to Sullivan, but he gets it wrong in his post:
So now the Pentagon confirms what most of us have known for a while: Iraq is in the middle of a sectarian, civil war, and it could get much much worse.
The article Sullivan links to specifically says that Rumsfeld won't call it a civil war. If Rumsfeld, as Secretary of Defense, doesn't speak for the Pentagon, who does? Yes, they are starting to admit that things aren't going well. But the level of denial is still extraordinary.

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