NEW YORK, Nov 28: Over White House objections, The New York Times and other US news outlets have adopted the term `civil war’ for the fighting in Iraq, reflecting a growing consensus that sectarian violence has engulfed the country.

After a widely publicized decision by ABC News on Monday to brand the conflict a civil war, several prominent newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, pointed to their use of the phrase.

“It’s hard to argue that this war does not fit the generally accepted definition of civil war,” New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller said in a statement.

The Bush administration has for months resisted the notion that Iraq is embroiled in a civil war, a position analysts say is hard to justify. Experts predict a shift in language could deepen public discontent with U.S. involvement in Iraq.

Asked at a news conference in Estonia what the difference was between the current bloodshed and civil war, President Bush said the latest bombings were part of a nine-month-old pattern of attacks by Al Qaeda militants aimed at fomenting sectarian violence by provoking retaliation.

White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley said the Iraqis “don't talk of it as a civil war” because the army and police had not fractured along sectarian lines and the government continued to hold together.

US officials’ reluctance to use the words `civil war’ is more than a semantic difference. The phrase carries a political dimension as well because it could further weaken Americans’ support for a war that has already helped remove Mr Bush’s Republican Party from control of Congress.

MSNBC, NBC'’ cable network, on Monday displayed a graphic reading `Iraq: The Civil War’ in its Iraq coverage. Other US networks said they would continue reporting under broader terms like `War in Iraq’.

The shift in coverage reflects a growing consensus among foreign-policy experts that the conflict is a civil war, said American University communications professor Chris Simpson.

“When those elites shift, the media typically follows,” Simpson said. “To some extent the media do play a role in shaping that opinion, but mostly they follow it.”—Reuters