The Associated Press has adopted AFP’s morally repugnant convention of referring to Hamas members, who belong to a group on the State Department list of terrorist organizations, as “activists:” Hamas Activist Survives Damascus Blast.

DAMASCUS, Syria - A Hamas activist survived a bombing Monday that destroyed his vehicle on a Damascus street shortly after he and his family stepped out, the Palestinian militant group said.

Hamas and the Syrian government blamed Israeli intelligence agents for the 3:45 p.m. blast that slightly injured three passers-by and shattered windows of several nearby apartments.

A bomb placed under the seat of the vehicle exploded minutes after the Palestinian, his wife and daughter stepped out, said Interior Minister Ghazi Kenaan.

Missed him by that much.