Posted on 10/24/2007 9:36:06 PM PDT by Posting
Remembering the first attack on US Forces by Islamic Fascism
Jennifer at Now for Something Different recalls the 1983 attack on the US Marine Corps barracks in Lebanon, which stands today as the deadliest post-WWII attack on Americans overseas, and marks perhaps the first strike in the Global War on Terror.
Readers know I have much profound and deep respect for President Ronald Reagan, but as a human he was certainly not above making mistakes. That he ordered our forces withdrawn instead of counter-attacking is perhaps the single, biggest mistake of his presidency. But for then Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger setting the rules for engagement so loosely, could the attack, itself, been prevented? (One could easily argue the attack on the USS Cole was, in part, due to similarly lax ROE).
While President Reagan's record of accomplishments, by far, outweigh any error in judgement regarding this event, anniversaries such as today will always call to mind what could have been handled differently.
I strongly recommend Jennifer's post as required reading, so as we never forget the event.
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