Some on the left are suggesting that U.S. forces “assassinated” Qassem Sulemaini, the Iranian leader of the Revolutionary Guard.
Hmm. Let’s look briefly at this.
Sulemaini was not a political leader. He was a military man, the head of a ruthless military organization with blood on its hands, and he had blood on his hands. Thus, I resist the use of the term “assassinate” to describe the attack that killed Sulemaini.
It was an operation that took out a military target.
There might be room to criticize Donald Trump’s strategy, if he has one, in connection with this attack. I happen, though, to support the president’s decision to kill this murderer. Sulemaini was a despotic killer who needed killin’. I am concerned about whether the president has considered the impact this action will have on the Middle East region and the extent to the threat that might be posed to Americans in the event of an Iranian retaliation.
However, assassinations are intended to describe the violent deaths of political leaders … heads of state and government, leading political figures. We’ve had our share of them in this country; thus, Americans understand what an assassination looks like.
This action against Qassem Sulemaini was a military strike against a military target.