In the NY Times Week in Review section this morning, Scott Shane presented a review of the CIA's reputation as the U.S. premier gang of assassins. 

The reputation of this agency of the U.S. government has been maligned or so interpreted as to be the 'Gang That Didn't Shoot Straight.'

I remember Patrice Lumumba but not how he looked.  He was an up and coming personality in Africa but was opposed by entrenched tribal powers.  Instead of being "taken out" by the CIA, Mr. Shane reports it was another faction that did the deed.  At the time I was confused as to the importance of this educated man and his demise in this fashion.  He was killed or murdered and most definitely assassinated.  His disappearance from the political scene was either applauded or decried at that time and this approach to influencing political change is but just one of very many changes in power recorded over time.  Every political leader that you or I can identify in any country in the world has a group of body guards protecting him or her from the predictable bullet or bomb from enemies who think killing will end that leader AND his or her program.

We have been talking some about the difference between killing, murder and assassination in our Bible Study class.  There is the case of Pinchas who, on moral grounds, killed two licentious fornicators within the precincts of the Holy Ark.  He murdered them or assassinated them.  But he did kill them.  The distinction is almost clear in Pinchas' case but is particularly clear in civil elimination of a political figure.

Of great interest is why the murderer of thousands of Americans in the destruction of the twin Trade Towers continues to live safe from attempts to dispatch him.  It is not because it has not been tried.  Osama bin Laden has been sought throughout the world but mostly in the mountainous wilds of Afghanistan.  The use of drones focused on a particular piece of geography has the support of many who think long distance assassination is the best way to go about completing the job of murdering a killer.  Using these words becomes difficult after a while.

I like the idea of an individual or small team of assassins finally finding bin Laden and eliminating him.  It will, like cutting the head off a snake but the body will still be wriggling with the power of his followers and the cycle of killing and assassination of murderers will go on and on.  There must be a better way of doing this.  I think that by holding elections we can get rid of the leaders who abuse their power.  Sometimes, the leaders do themselves in by hurting the people they lead.