Bush says Iraq is not in a state of civil war.

Hadley also dismissed the notion that civil war has begun in Iraq. "The Iraqis don't talk of it as a civil war. The unity government doesn't talk of it as a civil war," Hadley said. "You have not yet had a situation also where you have two clearly defined and opposing groups vying not only for power but for territory."

Oh really? Mr. Hadley, meet Muqtada al-Sadr, spiritual leader of the Mahdi army.

And who cares if the Iraqi government calls what's happening a ham and swiss on rye? When did the group that sold us visions of nuclear plumes and WMD become the gold standard of truth?

Wikipedia
A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight for political power or control of an area. Political scientists use two criteria: the warring groups must be from the same country and fighting for control of the political center, control over a separatist state or to force a major change in policy. The second criteria is that at least 1,000 people must have been killed in total, with at least 100 from each side.

Merriam-Webster
noun: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country

This homicidal refusal to accept the obvious sure puts Clinton's "that depends on your meaning of 'is'" in perspective, doesn't it?