Centcom: No more ‘long war.’

“In this case, the idea that we are going to be involved in a ‘Long War,’ at the current level of operations, is not likely and unhelpful,” Centcom spokesman Lt. Col. Matt McLaughlin said. “We remain committed to our friends and allies in the region and to countering al-Qaida inspired extremism where it manifests itself. But one of our goals is to lessen our presence over time, [and] we didn’t feel that the term ‘Long War’ captured this nuance.”