Honestly, I'm not making these things up

Headline of the New York Times this morning:



"Obama Announces Halt of Troop Withdrawal in Afghanistan"

¡Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

I think the rhetorical figure is called Litotes, where two words with opposite meanings are used--such as "halt" and "troop-withdrawal" (troop-withdrawal, il faut l'avouer, already counts as one, detestably euphemistic word)--to mean something quite the opposite of both; usually, in normally well-bred people, with humorous intent.  But in the humorless language of politicians and generals, the pompous solemnity of the phrase "halt troop withdrawal," with the plain meaning of "persist in (violent) military occupation," while ridiculously and fatuously absurd, is not meant to be funny: Its purpose is fraudulently to deceive (the American people and the world at large), to conceal nefarious motive and purpose, and, villainously, to exculpate (their own atrociously guilty selves). Haven't you noticed?--There are War Crimes being committed (by the U.S. and NATO) all the time, everywhere, but most especially in Afghanistan.