If Reagan Had Retaliated Against Hezbollah in 1983...

...after the US embassy bombing, there would be peace in the Holy Land today.

Or in 1984. But Reagan failed to act.

Put the blame on Ronald Reagan? I say yes.

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From Daled Amos's blog:

April 1983: Hizbollah sends a suicide bomber who blows up a truck in from of the American embassy in Beirut. 63 employees-- including the Middle East CIA director--are killed. 120 are wounded. President Reagan and the US do nothing.

October 1983: Hizbollah sends a suicide bomber to blow up an American barracks at the Beirut airport. 241 US Marines are killed and 81 are wounded. At first Reagan signs off on a plan to retaliate, but then allows Secretary of Defense Weinberger to cancel the plan, lest US relations with the Arab world be damaged. Instead, Reagan pulls the Marines out of Lebanon.

March 1984: William Buckley, CIA station chief in Lebanon is kidnapped by Hizbollah and murdered....

Reagan, who swore never to negotiate with terrorists made a deal trading arms in exchange for hostages.
Why Hizbollah Does Not Fear The US

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I saw that MTP and I think Murtha comes off a lot better than any of Bush's neocons, who have been fighting a war that exists only in their heads. Murtha has combat experience; none of Bush's guys do.

I still maintain: If Ronald Reagan had acted decisively in 1983 and 1984 and nipped Hezbollah in the bud, there might be no terrorism in the Middle East today.

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Hi Rodney.

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ThingProgress is an interesting site, but if Reagan had acted decisively, we wouldn't be in this mess.

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