"Assassin" is an umbrella term for an individual, a group, or a government that uses murder to advance its agenda. This agenda can be blatantly insane (obsession, delusion), sociological (racial, religious, ethnic), or purely political (regime change).
It has been rumored that almost every government on earth has, at one time or another, conducted clandestine assassinations. These "terminations with great prejudice" (intelligence code for killings) don't usually make the papers. [The Obama administration "terminated with great prejudice" a U.S. citizen by drone.] The assassinations and assassination attempts that do make the news and get wall-to-wall coverage are the highly visible, public attempts in which a celebrity or a political figure is targeted during an event in which he or she is visible and accessible.
Assassination is unlike other types of murder, many of which occur in a moment of passion or during the commission of a crime. Assassinations are planned. They are thought through and in many cases, they are successful. This simple fact leads inexorably to the fatalistic view held by American presidents--and explains why the Pope rides with a bulletproof bubble over his vehicle and why no American president has ridden in an open vehicle since 1962.
Stephen J. Spignesi, In The Crosshairs, 2003
It has been rumored that almost every government on earth has, at one time or another, conducted clandestine assassinations. These "terminations with great prejudice" (intelligence code for killings) don't usually make the papers. [The Obama administration "terminated with great prejudice" a U.S. citizen by drone.] The assassinations and assassination attempts that do make the news and get wall-to-wall coverage are the highly visible, public attempts in which a celebrity or a political figure is targeted during an event in which he or she is visible and accessible.
Assassination is unlike other types of murder, many of which occur in a moment of passion or during the commission of a crime. Assassinations are planned. They are thought through and in many cases, they are successful. This simple fact leads inexorably to the fatalistic view held by American presidents--and explains why the Pope rides with a bulletproof bubble over his vehicle and why no American president has ridden in an open vehicle since 1962.
Stephen J. Spignesi, In The Crosshairs, 2003
No comments:
Post a Comment