Quote:
Originally Posted by dc_dux
The fact that Reagan "cut and ran" (terms the right likes to use) and left the impression that the US would not respond to terrorist attacks... might also have contributed to future attacks.
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I remember when this happened. I was sitting on a Navy ship just east the Strait of Hormuz and headed to Bahrain. We went to general quarters, which having been in the Navy a total of about 6mos. got my attention. I remember talk of turning around and going to support the forces in the Mediterranean. One Senior Chief told me "There's no way Reagan will let this go, he'll turn Lebanon into a glass parking lot first." I remember reading in the Stars and Stripes about the New Jersey sitting off shore and firing her big guns at "terrorist targets." That was sometime in late fall. By spring we were out of there and I never heard anyone really talk about it. That Senior Chief told me "This will come back to bite us in the ass, you either stand up to these assholes or they'll just get stronger." He also referred to Reagan as a Carter wannbe after that.
I don't know about the Carter wannbe comment but he may have been right about this coming back to bite us. I think the group that did the bombing was Hezbollah, or at least a early version of them. Look how strong they are now.