[dpwiener]

"Israel assassinated"
MSNBC starting off the year with its usual bias.

It's interesting to read the comments on this thread, because the word "assassinated" had no negative connotations for me. Assassination of enemy leaders is an excellent thing, far preferable to killing grunt soldiers who are often just following orders. The ideal war would consist of "cutting off the enemy's head" while leaving everyone else unharmed. True, that makes your own leaders prime targets for the enemy in response, but that should be part of the risk and price of achieving leadership of a nation at war.

[Mojave]

Assassination
n.
The act of assassinating; a killing by treacherous violence.

http://www.answers.com/assassination

[Drill Thrawl]

I agree completely.

Start at the top and keep working down the command chain until whoever is left in-charge surrenders.

Either that or Sherman-esque total war. Any other methods prolongs the time and pain and increases the death toll.

[calex59]

It's interesting to read the comments on this thread, because the word "assassinated" had no negative connotations for me. Assassination of enemy leaders is an excellent thing, far preferable to killing grunt soldiers who are often just following orders. The ideal war would consist of "cutting off the enemy's head" while leaving everyone else unharmed. True, that makes your own leaders prime targets for the enemy in response, but that should be part of the risk and price of achieving leadership of a nation at war.

If the MSM didn't have the intention of painting the IDF as murderers then why use the word assassinate? Why not say the IDF killed a terrorist leader? The MSM deliberately used the assassinate word to bring up negative images in the minds of their readers in order to vilify Israel. THAT is why people are commenting on their use of the word.

[IonImplantGuru]

It's interesting to read the comments on this thread, because the word "assassinated" had no negative connotations for me. Assassination of enemy leaders is an excellent thing, far preferable to killing grunt soldiers who are often just following orders. The ideal war would consist of "cutting off the enemy's head" while leaving everyone else unharmed. True, that makes your own leaders prime targets for the enemy in response, but that should be part of the risk and price of achieving leadership of a nation at war.

Stop making sense! ... was the title of a 1984 Talking Heads movie and album. But it was the phrase that sprang to my mind when I read your very cogent comments.