BBC disgracefully still won't call these murderers "terrorists"

Here's how the BBC describes the terrorists who have slaughtered at last 69 people in the Westgate mall in Nairobi:

Now, we don't expect the Beeb to describe the al-Shabab killers as "animals" in a news report. That was the word used, perfectly appropriately, by Louis Bowa, who is waiting for the bodies of his wife and eight-year-old daughter to be recovered from the shopping mall. It's a metaphor and would look strange in a piece of reporting. The right word is "terrorists". For example:

British businessman condemns terrorists who murdered his daughter

... which is a Telegraph headline. And, from the body of one of our reports:

As the terrorists roamed the mall with guns and grenades...

Let's get this straight. There is nothing wrong with using the word "militants" to describe the al-Shabab gunmen. But they are also terrorists, by any criterion, and that word should also be used.

The Beeb won't do it, however. It virtually bans the word from reporting, lest it be used "inappropriately". Many BBC journalists, who are overwhelmingly on the Left, support the causes for which armed gunmen fight in, say, Palestine. Therefore there's no question of describing Hamas as a terrorist organisation. This I can just about understand, given that Hamas is also a powerful political party, though I don't agree with the policy.

But in what universe are Islamists who spray women and children with bullets in a shopping centre not terrorists? The BBC may say: we have a rule and we have to apply it universally. This is nonsense. That's what editors are for.

But hang on. On re-reading a BBC report, I see that it does use the T-word:

Kenyan officials said earlier that three "terrorists" had been killed, and that 10 people had been arrested.

Those inverted commas are more contemptible than not using the word at all. And remember: you pay for this.