White House Grapples with Fraught Terrorism Language

BY JULIE PACE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Twice this month, the White House has publicly grappled with the politically fraught language of terrorism.

In the days after a deadly terror spree in Paris, President Barack Obama was criticized for purposely avoiding calling the attacks an example of “Islamic extremism,” settling for the more generic “violent extremism.” This week, the White House struggled to explain why the administration sometimes classifies the Afghan Taliban as a terrorist organization and sometimes does not.

The rhetorical wrangling underscores how the president is still trying to explain to the American public the threats that persist, while also being mindful of the effect his words have abroad.