“The term ‘war on terror’ lumps terrorist groups together and draws battles as simple struggles between good and evil,” claimed British foreign secretary, David Miliband in a disparaging Guardian article published on 15 January 2009.

Mr Miliband publicly renounced the infamous rhetoric of the Bush era a mere five days before the heavily criticised President was due to step down from his position in the White House. However, British officials have since claimed that the statement was not published in light of the political changes taking place across the Atlantic, but rather in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai seven weeks ago. As the Middle East struggles to cope with the Gaza casualties, the foreign secretary’s critique of the Bush administration’s response to September 11 seems appropriately timed.

The phrase was in fact coined by former prime minister Tony Blair, when, five days after the terrorist attacks in New York, he stated: “The fact is we are at war with terrorism. It is a war between the civilised world and fanaticism. We have made it clear that we stand side by side with the United States”. George Bush adopted the term later the same week during an address to a joint session of Congress, before continuing to “attempt to weave a grand narrative to drive US foreign policy” by coining the expression "axis of evil" in 2002.

The foreign secretary went on to say: “The idea of a 'war on terror' gave the impression of a unified, transnational enemy, embodied in the figure of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. The reality is that the motivations and identities of terrorist groups are disparate. We must uphold our commitments to human rights and civil liberties at home and abroad. That is surely the lesson of Guantanamo and it is why we welcome President-elect Obama's commitment to close it”.

As the new president settles into the White House, it must be observed that he, too, has avoided the signature slogan of Bush foreign policy. Similarly, Hilary Clinton declared in her application to become Secretary of State that: “Diplomacy will be the vanguard of foreign policy.”

It has been three years since the term has been used in relation to British international relations or any subsequent threat of terrorism, yet this is the first time that the language behind United States counter-terrorism has been publicly attacked and discarded by a UK Government minister.

After recently successful prosecutions against al-Qaida inspired terrorists, the British security services have declared that the chances of an extremist attack against the United Kingdom have been considerably reduced. Nevertheless, the USA continues to see itself embroiled in what government officials claim will prove a "long war" against terrorists.