AP's Euphemism Of The Month

Calling terrorists by the term "activists" is so old hat these days that nobody notices
But what about those Kassam rockets, Grad rockets, and mortar shells--now there is a whole new are just waiting to be whitewashed.

Leave it to Meryl Yourish to spot the latest media development in whitewashing Gaza attacks on Israel, In this latest example of whitewashing, the Associated Press has settled the word 'projectile' to describe mortar shells:

The Israeli military says it has struck Gaza weapons manufacturing sites following mortar fire toward Israel.

The military says three airstrikes hit their targets early Thursday in response to a string of Gaza mortar attacks at southern Israeli communities.

The military says five projectiles were fired at Israel, lightly injuring one man. No one was wounded in the Israeli retaliation.


The flare-up is rare in a region that has remained largely quiet since Israel's three-week-long offensive into Gaza two years ago.

Israel launched the offensive to halt near-daily rocket fire from the Palestinian territory ruled by the militant Hamas group. Some 200 projectiles from Gaza have landed in Israel this year.

However you want to define it, 'projectile' is a rather bland term that downplays the danger involved--much as in describing a terrorist as an 'activist'.

It is one thing to argue the "one man's terrorist..." argument and claim that it is a value judgement, but you know--sometimes a mortar shell really is a mortar shell.

Hat tip: Soccer Dad

Technorati Tag: Mortar Shells.and Gaza.and Media Biass.