Strange word choice

Today U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized the handling of the executions of Saddam Hussein and two of his henchmen. The executions- especially Saddam's- have generally been considered diplomatic and political disasters, involving sectarian and political mocking and taunting of the condemned men on the gallows by their enemies. Saddam's execution was carried out on a date which- on the calendar of Sunni Muslims- was a holy day, on which executions are constitutionally forbidden. Saddam's brother-in-law- Barzan Ibrahim, who was rather heavy- was apparently decapitated by the rope, a not-uncommon mishap in a hanging when the ratio of the executed person's weight to the length of the drop has been miscalculated.

But did Sec. Rice vilify those hangings?

Webster's definition of the word:

Main Entry: vil·i·fy
Pronunciation: 'vi-l&-"fI
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -fied; -fy·ing
Etymology: Middle English vilifien, from Late Latin vilificare, from Latin vilis cheap, vile
1 : to lower in estimation or importance
2 : to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : DEFAME
synonym see MALIGN

The implication is that the hangings were actually carried out well, but that Condi is maliciously attacking them. If that was the intent of the author of this headline, his (or hers) is a very odd- and not very objective- viewpoint.

If it was not, his (or hers) was a rather inappropriate choice of verbs.


HT: Drudge (who really seems to have a problem lately with taking his cue from badly-written, misleading headlines)