The latest battleground between the media and the Bush administration is not over policy, but on how to label the war in Iraq.

Television news outlets like CNN and MSNBC have described the war in Iraq as a civil war, while the White House has maintained it is a continuation of sectarian violence.

While a simple definition of civil war is a war between factions or regions of the same country, some with more insight on the topic feel it is more than a definition.

“The term ‘civil war’ generally implies well-distinguished, well-defined actors, with well-defined battle sites,” said Blake Klinkner, a graduate instructor of political science. “For example, the American Civil War and the civil war in Spain; You know the sides, and know what is up for debate.”

Mark Grotto, a freshman finance major, who has been following the war, does not agree that the war in Iraq is a civil war.

“I believe most of the violence is caused by al-Qaida, and they never had a strong foothold in Iraq,” Grotto said. “People fighting against al-Qaida want a free Iraq and democracy. Al-Qaida won’t allow democracy. It loathes democracy because [it] equals freedom.”

Associate political science professor Daniel Kempton agrees that the situation in Iraq is not a civil war.

“Is one group killing another? Yes. Is the whole country in a civil war? No,” Kempton said. “In northern Kurdistan, it is peaceful.”

Nick Lowery, a sophomore political science major, agrees there is sectarian violence in Iraq, but says it’s within a larger civil war.

“Everyone with half a brain outside the Bush administration thinks it is [civil war],” Lowery said.

Some say labeling such a conflict can be quite trivial, because there is a much larger issue at hand.

“[Labeling the war] side-steps the real issue,” Kempton said. “It doesn’t matter. Is it helping or hurting the war on terror?”

Grotto believes the media has a right to say whatever it wants under the First Amendment, but also believes that saying it is a civil war will give the current administration a bad image.

“We went in there hoping to make the country stable; overthrow Saddam, which we did,” Grotto said. “As time goes on under our control, and if it is proved they’re in a civil war, it wouldn’t look good for our commanders and leaders. We wouldn’t meet our goals.”