Proper Terminology

"Sectarian violence operations."

Q Is there a civil war going on in Iraq? And is the President frustrated with the lack of American public support for Iraq?

MR. SNOW: No, number one, there is not a civil war going on. I was on the phone earlier today with Major General Caldwell in Baghdad --

Q One hundred [dead] people a day?

MR. SNOW: He understands. And the other thing that's happening is that there has been -- there has been some improvement at least in the situation on the ground, slightly. Yes, you have a number of sectarian violence operations going on, but you've also seen now in targeted neighborhoods in Baghdad, there has been a notable decrease in violence in three of the neighborhoods that have been targeted in the last week, and that's obviously a promising sign; that's not a victory lap.

Well, there you have it. There is not a civil war going on.

Why do I think that had Tony Snow lived in the 1860s, we'd be hearing "President Lincoln understands, but there has been some improvement. Yes, you have a number of factional violence operations going on, but you've also seen in targeted neighborhoods in Atlanta, General Sherman has seen a notable decrease in violence in the last week..."