Keith, I agree that the phrase is ambiguous and open to differing interpretations. I haven't seen any clarification of what was precisely meant by it from the source however.

....

An (unrelated) opinion piece from Noam Chomsky on the "planned assassination" of Bin Laden:

"We might ask ourselves how we would be reacting if Iraqi commandos landed at George W. Bush's compound, assassinated him, and dumped his body in the Atlantic."

http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/2652/noam_chomsky_my_reaction_to_os/

While I have much respect for him as a thinker and writer, I imagine feelings about Chomsky will range very widely on this forum.