You can’t have a religious war with an irreligious nation

This is an opinion piece examining the framing of U.S. military interventions in the Middle East and how religious language shapes public perception of American foreign policy. The author references the 2003 Iraq invasion, when President George W. Bush's rhetoric about a "Global War on Terror" prompted concerns that the U.S. was waging a religious conflict against Islam. The piece argues that characterizing American military action as a religious war misrepresents the secular nature of U.S. state interests and military objectives. By analyzing how religious framing distorts geopolitical reality, the author suggests that accurate language about American foreign policy—emphasizing strategic rather than theological motives—is essential to honest public debate. The commentary appears aimed at correcting what the writer sees as a persistent mischaracterization of U.S. military intervention abroad.