President Barack Obama declared the 13-year war in Afghanistan officially over on Sunday, praising the troops and claiming that Americans are safer for their efforts. In Kabul, General John Campbellfolded the flag of the International Security Assistance Force, and unfurled the flag of a new mission, Resolute Support.

But while the administration would like to characterize this as a victory, the end of a conflict, it’s more of a re-branding. More than 10,000 United States troops will remain in Afghanistan, and just over one month ago, the president secretly expanded their 2015 combat mission to include fighting with the Taliban and/or al-Qaeda, the Haqqani network, or other insurgent groups. The expansion of duties, which was first reported in The New York Times, also allows for the use of American manned aircraft and drones. Some 4,000 NATO troops will also remain in Afghanistan next year.

According to the United Nations, 2014 is the deadliest year of the war since they began counting casualties in 2008. More than 10,000 civilians are expected to die in Afghanistan by January 1.

“For more than 13 years, ever since nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken from us on 9/11, our nation has been at war in Afghanistan,” Obama’s statement about the changing missions read. The president highlighted the “extraordinary sacrifices” of troops, some 2,200 of whom have died to date during the $1 trillion war. “We are safer, and our nation is more secure, because of their service,” Obama said.

There were debates about whether fully withdrawing troops by the end of 2014 would further cripple Afghanistan and inflame civil war. There were debates within the administration about whether the remaining troops should be limited in their mission to attack only Taliban targets, as opposed to the Taliban and other insurgent groups. And with ISIS ravaging Iraq after an American pullout that some deemed recklessly hurried, there is a new urgency to the debate about whether Afghan security forces are capable of preventing a similarly collapsed state should Americans leave the country.

It’s true that the president has drawn down troop levels dramatically after taking office and completing his “surge” between late 2009 and 2012. But leaving thousands of U.S. soldiers in a country and tasking them with carrying out combat missions is not ending a war. Branding it as the conclusion of a war may be politically expedient, but it’s also disingenuous. Operation Resolute Support is a new mission, but it is war, with a new name.

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