Contending in a 2009 interview that “the language we use matters,” he rebranded the war on terror as a “struggle” and a “strategic challenge.” But the rhetorical shift did not translate into a change in strategy, with the Obama administration moving beyond security concerns to use its anti-terrorism activities to advance America’s broader geopolitical interests.
奥巴马上台后，选择了更温和、更微妙的基调。在“用词很重要”的2009的采访中，他将反恐战争改名为“斗争”和“战略挑战”。但修辞的变化并没有带来战略改变，奥巴马政府仍然超越了安全顾虑的边界，利用其反恐活动为美国更宽泛的地缘政治利益服务。