Action of ではない on sentence part


I found on NHK easy Japanese a puzzling
[sentence](http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10012236831000/k10012236831000.html):

アメリカのトランプ大統領は、戦争をするために殺したのではないと言っています。

My problem is with 戦争をするために殺したのではない

My first attempt at translation would use mentally parenthesis as shown in the
following: (戦争をするために殺したの)ではない

My translation would be then "we killed him but not to do war".

At least I believe that 戦争をするために殺したの means: "a kill in order to make war" and
ではない would negate the meaning.

But then again what would be the Japanese translation if Trump had meant that
the general was making war and was killed because he was making/preparing war?
Thanks a lot for any help!




Your initial translation seems correct. Without seeing the full article, my
guess would be that '殺した'refers to the killing of General Suleimani. 'の' would
indicate that an explanation or reason is being alluded to in the preceding
text. An inelegant but more literal translation would be "it wasn't for the
purpose of making war (we) killed him".

