Has the U.S. government really re-branded the Global War on Terror as the nebulous and clumsy “Overseas Contingency Operation” as was reported at the Washington Post two days ago? An email circulated by a beaurucrat at the Office of Management and Budget claimed the name had indeed changed:
“Recently, in a LtGen [John] Bergman, USMC, statement for the 25 March [congressional] hearing, OMB required that the following change be made before going to the Hill,” Dave Riedel, of the Office of Security Review, wrote in an e-mail. “OMB says: ‘This Administration prefers to avoid using the term “Long War” or “Global War on Terror” [GWOT]. Please use “Overseas Contingency Operation.'”
As the Washinfton Post reported, an OMB spokesman later denied any such directive was issued, and described the statement as “the opinion of a career civil servant.” The Pentagon has gone on the record and officially denied the report. Per Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell, at a press conference earlier today.
MR. MORRELL: I’ve never received such a directive. I think the White House and OMB for that matter have been very clear about this as well, that they have never issued such a directive. I think they’ve explained that perhaps somebody within OMB may have been a little overexuberant and done so. But I can just tell you, I’m the one who speaks publicly about these matters. And I have never been told which words to use or not to use. So I don’t think there’s anything to the story.
