In general I agree.
But in the case of the Beruit deployment, Reagan listened to the NeoCons, and ignored genuine Jacksonians like Jesse Helms who said not to do it.
https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal82-1163928
That’s true. He did bomb them after it happened.
I don’t think Reagan thought that Marines in their base would let a guy drive up to their building and blow it up and kill everyone.