Fifty-two percent and sinking. That's George Bush's latest approval rating (Reuters/Zogby), and much of the slide is due to Americans' decreasing confidence that the Administration has a plan in Iraq. So this fall the President plans a series of major speeches to remind us why it was necessary to take out Saddam and his weapons of mass destruction. While he's re-educating us, here's another helpful thing he could do: define some of the commonly misunderstood technical terms his Administration has used to discuss Saddam's WMD. The following list might get him started:

After: Earlier or later than a point in time. Example: "After the [State of the Union] speech, information was learned about the forged documents. With the advantage of hindsight, it's known now what was not known by the White House prior to the speech." (Ari Fleischer, July 9, 2003.) Usage note: As the White House later clarified, in October 2002 the CIA had informed Condoleeza Rice and her deputy that the documents, purporting to show Iraq purchasing uranium from Niger, were forged. So in this example, after technically means "three months earlier."

Ally of al Qaeda: Government that opposes US strategic and economic goals, is militarily weak, and possesses flammable underground resources that are in our national interest. Example: "We have removed an ally of al Qaeda. No terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime." (George W. Bush, May 1, 2003.)

Ally of the United States: Government that supports the Administration's war on fuel efficiency, while harboring and funding al Qaeda. Example: "Saudi Arabia is a long-standing friend and a long-standing ally." (Scott McClellan, White House Press Secretary, August 6, 2002.)

Believe: To wish that one had proof. Example: "We believe [Saddam] has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." (Dick Cheney, March 16, 2003.)

Burden of proof: Legal and rhetorical concept that applies to those who oppose the Bush Administration. Example: "I think the burden is on those people who think he didn't have weapons of mass destruction to tell the world where they are." (Ari Fleischer, July 9, 2003.)

Civilized nation: Government that supports US strategic and economic interests. Example: "Our country leads a mighty coalition of civilized nations, joined in facing a common threat, a real threat to humanity." (White House press release, April 3, 2003.) Mordant humor warning: Under the Patriot Act, placing quotation marks around this term is prohibited when referencing civilized nations, such as Uzbekistan, that are helping to ensure the safety of the American people through one-party states, government-controlled media, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture and murder of prisoners.

Clear: 1. verb To concur with something the Administration believes. "But when I gave the when they talked about the speech and when they looked at the speech, it was cleared" (George W. Bush, July 14, 2003). 2. adverb Prone to switching to passive voice in response to a series of unpatriotic questions. "I'm going to be very clear, all right? In the President's speech that sentence was changed, right? And with the change in that sentence, the speech was cleared " (Condoleeza Rice, July 11, 2002).

Evidence: Facts in the President's mind. Example: ". . . when the inspectors first went into Iraq and were denied, finally denied access, a report came out of the Atomic the IAEA that they were six months away from developing a weapon. I don't know what more evidence we need." (George W. Bush, September 7, 2002.) Weasel word bonus tip: This term often works well with believe. In this example, the IAEA's 1998 report actually said that before the 1991 Gulf War Iraq was 6 to 24 months away from developing a nuclear weapon. The President might have protected against suggestions of misstatement, while conveying the same idea, by saying, "I believe that we need no more evidence ."

In: Preposition identifying a place in the President's mind. Example: ". .. did Saddam Hussein have a weapons program? And the answer is, absolutely. And we gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn't let them in." Footnote from the Society of Distinguished Historians: Of course, Saddam Hussein did allow the inspectors in (and the President ordered them out before the war), but here the President intended in to refer to New Zealand.

Intelligence sources: Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and Douglas Feith. Example: "Our intelligence sources tell us that he [Saddam] has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production." (George W. Bush, 2003 State of the Union address.) Fellow travelers advisory: This term no longer includes senior analysts at the CIA, State Department, and Energy Department, many of whom treacherously agreed with a foreign enemy (the IAEA) that the aluminum tubes were not suitable for nuclear weapons production.

No: 1. adjective Not any. 2. noun Suppression of. Example: "There was no debate or questions with regard to that line when it was signed off on." (Dan Bartlett, White House communications director, July 9, 2003, discussing the uranium reference in the State of the Union address.)

Weapons of mass destruction: Equipment belonging to the previous Iraqi government designed for offensive purposes. Example: "We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories." (George W. Bush, May 31, 2003.) Human interest footnote: The President was referring here to trailers that Saddam purchased from a British company to fill artillery balloons. They may also have had the dual use of filling balloons for the national holiday celebrating Saddam's birthday. While the former use does not fall within the parameters of WMD, the latter does because it is offensive.