Terminate with extreme prejudice
In military and other covert operations, terminate with extreme prejudice is a euphemism for aggressive execution (playing on the expression "termination with prejudice" of an employment contract). In a military intelligence context, it is generally understood as an order to assassinate. Its meaning was explained in a New York Times report on an incident during the Vietnam War.[1]
The expression may also be used as a straight forward statement of intent in some jurisdictions to refer to more overt summary executions, i.e. in the context of a death warrant / kill order issued as part of a 'shoot on sight' or similar policy.
See also
Look up terminate with extreme prejudice in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Apocalypse Now.
References
- ^ Smith, Terence (August 14, 1969). "Details of Green Beret Case Are Reported in Saigon". The New York Times.
suggested that he either be isolated or 'terminated with extreme prejudice.' This term is said to be an intelligence euphemism for execution.
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