Washington (CNN) -- The United States hopes cool, careful language will keep the North Korean crisis from boiling over. The United States has been vocal in condemning North Korea for what it calls an act of aggression and provocation in the March 26 sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors. But you won't hear American officials call this "an act of war." In fact, from President Obama on down the chain of command in this latest Korean crisis, the word "war" is missing in action. Obama set the tone, offering support and condolences to the South Koreans in March. Once an international investigation concluded last week that the patrol ship Cheonan was sunk by a North Korean torpedo, a White House statement called the ship sinking "an act of aggression ... one more instance of North Korea's unacceptable behavior and defiance of international law."
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Term "act of war" is missing in U.S. response to sinking of South Korean warship
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Hillary Clinton: U.S. "working hard to avoid an escalation, belligerence and provocation"
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North Korea has denied responsibility for the March 26 sinking of ship
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"This is a very sensitive period. You have to be very careful," analyst says of situation
Washington is standing with @placeholder's decision to halt trade agreements with North Korea.