Matt Lauer announced today that NBC News has decided to characterize the situation in Iraq as “a civil war.”

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Lauer:

“For months now the White House has rejected claims that the situation in Iraq has deteriorated into civil war. And for the most part, news organizations like NBC have hesitated to characterize it as such. But after careful consideration, NBC news has decided to change in terminology as warranted that the situation in Iraq, with armed, militarized factions fighting for their own political agendas, can now be characterized as civil war.”

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