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‘Semantic backflips’: White House struggles with ‘combat’

By Jamie McIntyre
Published May 23, 2016 4:01am ET
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‘Semantic backflips’: White House struggles with ‘combat’
President Obama as he is briefed by Marine General Joseph Dunford, commander of the US-led International Security Assistance Force at Bagram Air Field. U.S. troops are in combat in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, and maybe in Somalia and Libya, too. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File) | Evan Vucci

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said it. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford has said it. The top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said it — last year.

But administration officials from the White House to other parts of the Pentagon have a hard time saying it without adding some sort of caveat.

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Tag:

Afghanistan Ash Carter Department of Defense (Department of War) Iraq ISIS Jamie McIntyre John McCain Joseph Dunford Minusextra Pentagon Robert Gates Syria