Military leader re-emerges in government role.

In a controversial move, former U.S. President Donald Trump renamed the Department of Defense to the "War Department" during his tenure. The name change, which was supported by some, including the late Christopher Hitchens, was part of an effort to revive a "warrior ethos" and enhance national security.

Trump's administration also faced criticism for its use of drone strikes, with reports suggesting that he posted snuff videos of these strikes on his social media platforms. One such incident involved a drone strike off the coast of Venezuela, which extrajudicially killed individuals claimed to be drug dealers from the Tren de Aragua group. However, no trial was held to confirm these claims.

The "War on Narcoterrorism," as this conflict was often referred to, marked a shift in U.S. foreign policy. It represented a convergence of two past wars, both waged against nouns or concepts rather than clearly defined enemies. This approach was also seen in the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which were part of the broader war against the concept of "terror."

The U.S. involvement in these conflicts, particularly the war in Vietnam, has been a subject of much debate. While the war was less "cold" for the major confrontation of superpowers, it was far from peaceful for the burned and maimed civilians in Vietnamese villages. The U.S. was not "defending" itself in Vietnam during the 1960s, but rather fought against the Vietnamese people and their right to self-determination.

In contrast, the current Defense Minister of Germany, Boris Pistorius, is advocating for "military preparedness," though a planned renaming of the War Department is not known.

Interestingly, Hitchens, who was previously a socialist and critic of the U.S. empire, supported Bush's wars, despite his initial opposition. This shift in stance was evident in his call for the renaming of the Department of Defense to the "War Department" after the 9/11 attacks.

However, the minister associated with Trump's proposal is not explicitly identified in the context of the name change. Pete Hegseth, the U.S. War Minister under Trump's administration, was proud of the name change and frequently referenced it on his Instagram account.

Under Obama's presidency, drone executions were carried out in seven countries. Unlike Trump, Obama did not shy away from killing U.S. citizens during these operations. The WikiLeaks revelations made public U.S. war crimes, such as the bombing of Reuters journalists in Baghdad in 2007.

This article is from an independent, left-wing, and opinionated daily newspaper that has been in operation since 1979. The newspaper often presents opposing opinions within a broad left-wing spectrum.