REAGAN ASSERTS BLAME IS HIS IN MARINE SECURITY FAILURE; OPPOSES PUNISHING OFFICERS

NYT ^ | WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 1983 | JOEL BRINKLEY

[GonzoII]

December 28, 1983

REAGAN ASSERTS BLAME IS HIS IN MARINE SECURITY FAILURE

REAGAN ASSERTS BLAME IS HIS IN MARINE SECURITY FAILURE; OPPOSES PUNISHING OFFICERS

By JOEL BRINKLEY, Special to the New York Times

Editor's Note Appended

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27— President Reagan said today that he accepted full blame for the lack of security measures that permitted the terrorist bombing of the Marine headquarters in Beirut. He said he does not believe any of the Marine commanders ought to be punished.

''If there is to be blame,'' Mr. Reagan said, ''it properly rests here in this office and with this President. I accept responsibility for the bad as well as the good.''

While acknowledging that the marines were ill-prepared to deal with the Oct. 23 terrorist truck bombing that took 241 lives, the President said their commanders ''have already suffered quite enough.'' Report's Conclusions Listed

Speaking at a hastily called news conference this morning before leaving for his ranch in California, the President said he had read the report of the special Defense Department commission that has investigated the bombing. That 166-page report, which criticizes the marines' security precautions, has not been made public. But officials who have read the report, or who were involved in its preparation, discussed it today. They said these were among its conclusions:

[ScottinVA]

THAT was a leader. Everyone else since is a lightweight by comparison.

[LS]

RR wasn’t thinking “response.” He was absorbed by the question of whether to leave the troops in. All his advisers, except Weinberger, wanted to stay, Cap adamant they had no mission. The Iowa ? did shell some “bases,” but Reagan was viewed as weak by Bin Laden in later years for withdrawing. OBL talked about the “two explosions” meaning the Marine barracks and the French paratrooper barracks.

[luvbach1]

Calvin Coolidge was the best president ever ridiculed.

[Fiji Hill]