Urge Overkill
Yes, before the Israelis assassinated him, Sheik Ahmed Yassin was the founder and spiritual leader of a powerful organization which has the destruction of the state of Israel as one of its main goals. As such, Sheik Yassin was a leading "enabler" of the murder of civilians by suicide bombing, most of which emanate from Hamas.

Still, the guy was a quadriplegic. It's as if a rival scientist used a helicopter to launch missiles at Steven Hawking as he slowly motored out of church.

Not surprisingly, all of the region's Arab leaders pointed out Sheik Yassin was a cripple confined to a wheelchair.

Even Iraq weighed in, with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the country's most important Shiite cleric, and Foreign Minister Hoshar Zubairy separately condemning the killing.

Ayatollah Sistani, who enjoys vast respect among Iraq's majority Shiites, on Monday chastised Israel in a statement and called for Arab and Islamic unity and "liberation of the usurped land."

Israeli officials say it was to help cover their withdrawal from Gaza, which Hamas will take control of. Bush administration officials say it will make cooperation with Egypt and Jordan more difficult.

Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, "Israel's army chief suggested Tuesday that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah would eventually be assassinated by Israel."