# Are we "at war"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-war/164125
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [March 25, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-war/164125 "2003-03-25T21:22:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-war/164125/21 "2003-03-26T02:10:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ElJeffe \*
> \*\*Granted, we’re not at war with the Iraqi people, we’re at war with the regime that currently controls Iraq, just as in Afghanistan we were at war with the Taliban. Nevertheless, it’s still a war.
>
> Jeff \*\*
I would agree wholeheartedly that this is still a war. I was merely pointing to the technicality of with whom we are at war with. In Aghanistan, we werent at war with the Taliban, we were looking for Al Qaeda operatives who the Taliban said did not “exist” in their country. See the similarity in policy now?
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### Author:  [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-war/164125/22 "2003-03-26T02:27:34Z")
Of course the nation is at war. We have national armies shooting at each other in a pretty organized fashion. You have to realize we don’t declare war any more. We just go fight them.
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### Author:  [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2003, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-at-war/164125/23 "2003-03-26T07:11:31Z")
**Spavined** : would you then say we were at war when we went into, say, Bosnia or Panama or Grenada or Somalia?
Personally, I just think “war” is a term of convenience, and in recent years has lost a lot of meaning. Example: the “war” on drugs or terrorism.
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