I know, I lost my brother in Beirut and took care of his daughter.
Actually I seem to recall that he shelled the Bekaa Valley -- which, if true, is about the same as sending a missile into a tent to hit a camel in the ass.
The reality is that our policy in the Middle East has been a disaster for at least thirty years, under ALL Presidents, and terrorism is just a part of that disaster.
9/11 was a wake-up call, but the 'Rats and their co-conspirators in the media have hit the snooze button and gone back to sleep, mumbling "it's all bush's fault" in their lame dreams.
I agree that Reagan didn't do enough in response to the Marine barracks bombing. However, it's inaccurate to say he never retaliated (while the Israelis and French bombed Iranian barracks). The USS New Jersey did shell Muslim militiamen and the entire Syrian high command in Lebanon was wiped out by a shelling while the Marines were pulling out. Also, Reagan ultimately used force against Iran, the country most responsible for the killing of the Marines, in the Tanker War of 1987-8. The US sunk half of Iran's navy and forced an end to the Iran-Iraq War. I consider that to be overdue revenge. When people tout Reagan's accomplishments, everybody forgets about this one.
Unfortunately, Vietnam was still on the back of the public's minds in 1983. Reagan thought in Cold War terms and gave a nationally televised address saying that the events in Lebanon and Grenada (as well as the Soviets' recent downing of the Korean airliner) were all linked since the Soviets supported the Syrian presence in Lebanon.