Patterico's Pontifications

10/25/2009

Marine Barracks Bombing Anniversary

Filed under: Obama,Terrorism — DRJ @ 12:28 am



[Guest post by DRJ]

Via Barry Rubin at Rubin Reports, Friday was the 26th anniversary of the Beirut Marine barracks bombing that killed 241 American troops including 220 Marines. The attack was orchestrated by Iran and Syrian-backed Hezbollah. Like Rubin, Ed Driscoll is not impressed with how Barack Airbrush Obama commemorated the bombing.

— DRJ

20 Responses to “Marine Barracks Bombing Anniversary”

  1. Anyone wish to wager on the percentage of US adults who have any idea what this story refers to? I’d guess about 2%, if not lower. Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it.

    Dmac (5ddc52)

  2. Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it.

    Ed Driscoll calls out Obama for “airbrushing” the 26-year-old attack without any reference to President Reagan’s response in support of our lost troops: a few offshore shellings.

    Or that 63 people were killed months before – including the CIA’s Middle East director – in the U.S. embassy bombing.

    Reagan pinned much of the blame on Carter.

    The bombings elevated a then-new radical pro-Iranian Shi’ite organization to the spear of Muslim vehemence against Western occupation. Quite a year.

    We then staged “Operation Urgent Fury” to kick Cubans out of Grenada.

    steve (e95f7a)

  3. This was one of Reagan’s mistakes. There was no clear mission for the Marines, and they weren’t even allowed to defend themselves. Reagan wisely withdrew the remaining troops after this disaster.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  4. That was unfortunately the wrong lesson to take from this, as Mugniyeh would teach Bin Laden about. Ironically the French were much more willing to launch a strike against those targets.
    The role of Mohastemi-pur and Najjar and Vahidi in fomenting Hezbollah was unclear then.

    bishop (996c34)

  5. What the mission was for our forces as part of a Multi-National Force (that included French Paratroopers, Italian troopers, and Brits) in Lebanon was to restore a fallen democracy and remove a totalitarian regieme then being imposed by Communist Russian backed Syria. Even now some 30 yrs since with the clear as mud hindsight there isn’t clear evidence who screwed up the ROE and who didn’t want the US Marines to appear as scary military troops. What sort of appears is that just like the involvement of US troops in Honduras was that someone in the government didn’t want to have the US get involved in another Vietnam like Quagmire. The problem with our involvement in the Eastern Med is that contrary to what a large number of people want to say in the commentary field. Most people in the West don’t understand the playing field there. It is too easy to fall into numerous pit falls while trying to play the middle of the road, there.

    Lone Sailor (234f5f)

  6. I agree with Lone Sailor. At that time, the Soviet Union was still the main antagonist, and Reagan correctly decided not to be distracted. The Soviet collapse vindicated his decision.

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  7. Or that 63 people were killed months before – including the CIA’s Middle East director – in the U.S. embassy bombing.

    You have a number of errors in your comment. Bill Buckley, the CIA station chief, was kidnapped and tortured to death. That, plus some other kidnappings, led Reagan into the disaster of the Iran-Contra scandal.

    The Marines were never properly sited and should have been withdrawn before the bombing. Among other things that are almost inconceivable is the fact that the sentries at the barracks were not allowed to load their M 16s. They watched the truck bomber coming but could not shoot him.

    The Grenada invasion was coincidentally scheduled for the same weekend. It was not a response. There were a thousand heavily armed Cuban troops captured along with a number of Russians and East Germans. Had we waited longer the communist forces might well have been able to throw off the invasion.

    Reagan withdrew the troops after the bombing but had little choice. He should not have put them there and John McCain, as a first term Congressmen, voted against the deployment. He was a friend of Reagan’s but opposed him on this.

    The two books that cover this pretty well are Marcinko’s “Rogue Warrior” and Bob Baer’s first book, “See No Evil.”

    Mike K (addb13)

  8. All that was missing from Airbrush Obama’s pious commemoration letter was the highfalutin oath to “really, really, bring the bad guys to justice this time for sure, absolutely and without a shred of doubt.”

    ropelight (e08903)

  9. The bombings elevated a then-new radical pro-Iranian Shi’ite organization to the spear of Muslim vehemence against Western occupation. Quite a year.

    Not only were your earlier statements proven to be inaccurate (thanks, Mike K) then please also offer links from objective sources to prove this wide – ranging claim. If not, then go bloviate somewhere else.

    Dmac (5ddc52)

  10. It’s a good thing Hezbollah has morphed into a benign community organizing social group according to the Left. Barcky can deal with folks like that.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  11. Ted Gup’s “Book of Valor” also goes into the particular circumstances of Ken Haas, the CIA
    station chief, killed along with Robert Ames
    in that operation, back in April of that year

    bishop (996c34)

  12. Haas may have been the replacement for Buckley. The CIA never acknowledged who the seven agents killed were.

    MIke K (addb13)

  13. I’m under the impression that our non – responses to the bombings of our African Embassies and the USS Cole (not to mention Black Hawk Down) were much more influential in the Islamic terrorist circles than the Marine Barracks bombings.

    Dmac (5ddc52)

  14. The senseless tragedy bit is the most disgusting part. These soldiers died for no discernible reason at all that the little pezzydent man can tell. That’s the way he likes to remember how American soldiers die I think. Vaguely and to absolutely no purpose.

    happyfeet (71f55e)

  15. that said, namely that our little pezzydent man blows at this whole being president of America thing, there might could be legal reasons what govern what you can say in statements about blowed up Americans cause of their families might sue Iran or whatever, which is what they do when their government is feeble, which, our government is very, very feeble. Bunch of feebs. God knows the State Department would be useless in negotiating reparations. The State Department is full of Harvard and Columbia University homos what find dead Americans inconvenient and vaguely embarrassing I think.

    happyfeet (71f55e)

  16. You have a number of errors in your comment. Bill Buckley, the CIA station chief, was kidnapped and tortured to death.

    Buckley was kidnapped, tortured and killed later. The CIA’s Middle East chief, Robert C. Ames, died in the April embassy bombing, along with “the entire U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Middle East contingent.”

    http://www.beirut-memorial.org/history/embassy.html
    http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/rcames.htm

    The Grenada invasion was coincidentally scheduled for the same weekend. It was not a response.

    That’s one storyline. Reagan had been focused on Grenada for some time.

    steve (00a72b)

  17. Mike K. – Buckley succeeded Haas in Beirut and as steve points out was kidnapped in 1984, not 1983.

    We invaded Grenda on 10/25/83. The former Prime Minister was executed by firing squad on 10/19.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  18. Maurice Bishop had been deposed at the beginning of October, though.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  19. Clint Eastwood documents all this in Heartbreak Ridge, plus reads some womens magazines to get in touch with his feminine side.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  20. It is cute how small-s steve calls facts that interfere with his Narrative storylines, as opposed to what they are. Facts.

    JD (138f58)


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