The use of the cyanide in the example then indicates two things:
1) That the emphasis from America is on might, severity, C, and not at all on the other two sefirot of loving-kindness and beauty.
2) As indicated by the sole emphasis on might, the American intention is that the negotiations lead to forceful land concessions (God forbid), and not a rectified approach to land (N).
As for the statement that the news also made his hair “stand on end,” this relates again to breathing and oxygen (tiferet in our model), and the sharp, initial experience of joy called chedvah.
* Chemical correspondence to the sefirot (for C, N, H, O) from forthcoming material by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh (Inner.org).