WPWG Exec: Why We Write 'Iraq War' With a Capital 'W'

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By: E&P Staff The Associated Press and The Washington Post are among the news organizations that use "Iraq war" with a lower-case "w." The Washington Post Writers Group (WPWG) uses "Iraq War" with a capital "W" when it edits its columnists.

WPWG Managing Editor James Hill explained why in his latest post on the syndicate's blog. "Even from afar, Iraq sure looks like a war," he wrote. "The United States, Britain, and a few other allies have a substantial troop presence, engagements with an enemy occur daily, and all sides suffer mounting casualties. It seems that no news outlet should have a problem with calling this the 'Iraq War.'"

Hill added: "I'm stating a personal view, but it seems the capitalization is one way to endow a measure of respect for this war's fallen."

The WPWG executive asked Norm Goldstein, editor of The Associated Press Stylebook, why AP uses the lower-case "w." Goldstein replied: "I think the only reason is that we generally leave these tags to history."

For Hill's complete post, click here (http://www.postwritersgroup.com/groupblog.htm).

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