In the few venues which yesterday denounced as “Terrorism” the ongoing
assassinations of Iranian scientists, there was intense backlash against
the invocation of that term. That always happens whenever “Terrorism”
is applied to acts likely undertaken by Israel, the U.S. or its allies —
rather than its traditional use: violence by Muslims against the U.S.
and its allies — because accusing Israel and/or the U.S. of Terrorism
remains one of the greatest political taboos (even when the acts in
question involve not only assassinations but also
explosions which kill numerous victims whose identities could not have been known in advance). But the case of these scientist assassinations particularly highlights how meaningless and manipulated this term is.