I agree with Michael on this. And it goes furhter. Often those killed are reported to be the victims of “violence” or “the war,” as if these were natural phenomenon such as hurricanes, or a possibly unnatural phenomenon such as global warming.
In any case, using this construction it’s clear who is to blame – Bush, neo-cons, Americans, maybe (since they also are to blame for global waming and occasionally for hurricanes) but certainly not terorrists or Militant Islamists; heaven forfend we should be so judgmental.