# What exactly is the name of this new war? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926 "2003-03-25T01:44:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926/21 "2003-03-25T21:28:51Z")
I myself am pushing for **Dubya Dubya II**. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926/22 "2003-03-25T21:30:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Theom \* > \*\*The British press doesn’t seem to like the term Operation: Iraqi Freedom although for the life of me I can’t think why… > > General term seems to be the Iraq Crisis or The Iraq Conflict. \*\* The “why” is because the British Ministry of Defense has named their part of the operation [Operation Telic](http://news.mod.uk/). What’s a Telic? > [@](#): > > telic > SYLLABICATION: tel·ic > PRONUNCIATION: \_\_tlk, tlk > ADJECTIVE: Directed or tending toward a goal or purpose; purposeful. > ETYMOLOGY: Greek telikos, from telos, end. From [The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.\_\_2000.](http://www.bartleby.com/61/38/T0093800.html) ---
**Author:** ![dman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f0a364/32.png) [@dman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926/23 "2003-03-25T22:04:12Z")
🙂 There are some fantastic ideas here! Thanks for the info that ‘Iraqi Freedom’ is the equivalent of ‘Desert Storm’, it sure doesn’t sound as catchy does it, maybe that’s why the networks are being creative. I agree with **ftg** and watch out, 20 years on the kids may be studying the holy history books about the ‘Glorious Global Jiihad’. It’s the winner writes the history books 😉 No, I don’t have _medium-term_ doubts about the outcome, but **do** check out [http://www.idleworm.com/nws/2002/11/iraq2.shtml](http://www.idleworm.com/nws/2002/11/iraq2.shtml) (_warning_ FLASH presentation) I laughed. Then I cried. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926/24 "2003-03-25T22:28:49Z")
Knowing how little imagination historians - the guys who actually get to name wars - have, it’ll probably be known as the Second Gulf War, at least in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926/25 "2003-03-25T23:15:30Z")
“Officially it’s Operation: Iraqi Freedom” Yeah, because if it was Operation: Iraqi Liberation, that would give us: O.I.L ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926/26 "2003-03-26T07:47:01Z")
“Operation: Piss Off The Planet”, says [The Onion’s](http://www.theonion.com) funniest issue since the 9/11 one. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926/27 "2003-03-26T07:59:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sqweels \* > \*\*Am I the only one inclined to roll his eyes at the recent tendancy to give military operations euphamistic, politically manipulative names (i.e. Operation “Enduring Freedom” :rolleyes:)? Why aren’t we calling it “Operation Defending America” or “Operation No More 9/11s”? I prefer good old names like “Operation Dynamo” or “Operation Thunderclap”. “Desert Storm” was pretty cool; I don’t have a problem with saying “Johnny served in Desert Storm”. But it I were a journalist, I’d be embarrassed to have to say, “Johnny served in Iraqi Freedom” as opposed to “Johnny served in the Iraqi-American War”. \*\* There is a little office on the fifth floor of the Pentagon “A” ring staffed with civil servants who are charged with naming things like this. Their source is George Orwell’s _1984_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-name-of-this-new-war/163926.md?page=1)