NBC national security reporter calls deadly London terror attack 'small-bore.' Reaction is swift.

Following the London terror attack that claimed at least four lives and injured over 30 people Wednesday, NBC News' Ken Dilanian posted what he considered to be a gentle reminder for his Twitter followers.

"I know it's a big story, but every time we freak out about a small-bore terror attack we play into their hands," he wrote.

As you might imagine, Dilanian — the intelligence and national security reporter for NBC News' Investigative Unit — experienced some immediate pushback over his choice of words.

But Dilanian had more to say:

One Twitter user was unmoved by Dilanian's position:

Dilanian made headlines a few years back amid a report that he allegedly submitted some of his stories to the CIA before publication. Dilanian declined to comment to the Los Angeles Times about the report, but the chief of the Tribune Washington bureau told the paper Dilanian may have violated policy that prohibits reporters from sharing "copies of stories outside the newsroom."

(H/T: Young Conservatives)