In the books there's always reason the bad guys just don't hire a sniper; they're not sure how much Bond (and therefore British Intel) know about their operations, they're afraid if they start killing Brit agents out of hand, the West will retailiate in kind, starting a bloodbath, etc... Sometimes they want him alive for questioning, giving him a chance to escape. In the book, Casino Royale, Bond is actually saved from a potentially lethal interrogation by a Soviet agent, who doesn't execute Bond simply because he has no orders to do so.
As for the movies, c'mon, Panther. You already know the answer to this one. Kill Bond and you kill an ultra-successful film franchise. Kill the franchise; kill the money.
Speaking of 007, I've seen floating around the net that Clive Owen was first choice as the new Bond, but turned down the role because he didn't want to be typecast. I really like Daniel Craig's portrayal, but I think Clive Owen would have been an awesome Bond. Does anyone know if this story was true, or just another net rumor?
JAMES