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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JUNE 21, 1985
PAGE 7
Various sages have repeatedly concluded that for a variety of
complex political reasons, the U.S. can do nothing about
terrorism. If that is so, then Americans should get one thing
clear in their minds while they watch this current drama play out
in Beirut: This is far from the last hijacking or terrorist
incident involving American civilians or soldiers.
Its
repetition is a sure thing••••
Among the repeated events that allow the terrorists to draw that
conclusion {that anti-American terrorism is a productive politi
cal instrument] one stands out: the October 1983 bombing of the
Marine barracks in Beirut that killed some 240 U.S. soldiers.
After that, the U.S. left Lebanon. For the operation's planners,
there were no costs. At the time of the Marine-barracks bombing,
we urged a retaliatory strike at the Bekaa Valley town of Baal
bek, which intelligence sources had identified as the base of the
bombers.
More generally, we suggested that President Reagan
order military strikes against Syrian military installations in
side Lebanon. It is certainly plausible to believe that if this
had been done then, Americans would be less likely to be taken
hostage in the Middle East today.
Yes, we understand. In a retaliatory strike it would be impossi
ble to target only the guilty; civilians might die•••• Americans
now held prisoner in Lebanon might also perish. And of course
the argument will be made--is now being made--that Lebanon's
feuding Moslem factions are now so splintered that the U.S. could
never correctly assign guilt for the kidnapping. This is a phi
losophy of eriminal jurisprudence that is perhaps more appro
priate to Algonquin, Ill. [where several of the passengers were
from]. We're talking about Lebanon. In a situation like Leba
non, the answer is to make someone responsible.
Shiite radicals have made Americans the prime targets of their attacks.
The list of assaults is growing--and tragically, the U.S. hasn't responded
forcefully to any of them. Here is a summary of anti-U.S. Shiite activity,
as reported in the article "Mideast Terror Strikes Americans" in the June
24 issue of U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT:
The latest assault by pro-Iranian militants, who see martyrdom as
a ticket to salvation, came after a number of attacks on U.S.
targets in the last two years.
Hijackers forced a Kuwaiti
airliner to Teheran last December and murdered two American
officials to press demands for the release of Shiites held by
Kuwait. The same group also took responsibility for a bombing in
March that killed 18 near a U.S. air base in Spain at a restaurant
that is popular with Americans. Earlier attacks caused 63 deaths
in a suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in April,
1983, and 241 U.S. servicemen died in an attack on the Marine
barracks six months later.
There are also seven other Americans captured in Lebanon over the past
several months who are still unaccounted for. Former Secretary of State
Alexander M. Haig, Jr. said on June 19 that "we knew" who was responsible
for the bombings of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks but simply failed
to coordinate an effective response to the assaults. He further said that
U.S. failure to make swift retribution results from the idea that "our