Assassination euphemisms

[Garson O'Toole]

 Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> It would interesting to know what persons or organizations use(d) which
> euphemisms and under what circumstances.  And how many are essentially
> literary.
>
> And how many (like "liquidate") were originally translations of foreign
> euphemisms

Here is some more context on two examples:

(1) total and complete immobilization

February 20, 1978, Sarasota Journal, Panel Learns Torrijos Knew of
Drugs (GNews archive)

The Nixon administration plot for the "total and complete
immobilization" of one unidentified Panamanian official in January and
February 1973 was never carried out, the Senate was told Tuesday by
Sen. Birch Bayh, D-Ind., the chairman of its Intelligence Committee.

Bayh said although the assassination idea was dropped, other devious
efforts to pressure Panama into cracking down on drug traffickers were
put into effect.

(Later in the article Manuel A. Noriega is named as the probable target.)


(2) health alteration

July 22, 2009, Los Angeles Times, The CIA, licensed to kill by David
Wise (Google)

Around the same time, the CIA's Health Alteration Committee -- who
thought that name up? -- sent a monogrammed, poisoned handkerchief to
Gen. Abdul Karim Kassem, the leader of Iraq.

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/22/opinion/oe-wise22

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