Word: terrorist
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...always held the U.S. back from striking hard on its own in retaliation against Gaddafi's terrorism. The Administration felt that it could justify such an attack to the American people--and allies around the world--only if it had hard evidence to prove Libya responsible for a specific terrorist act. And such evidence was always lacking--until the early hours of Saturday morning, April 5. Then a bomb went off in La Belle disco in West Berlin, which was packed with off-duty American soldiers spending some of the pay they had collected earlier that night. U.S. Army Sergeant...
...increasing vehemence as the week continued, U.S. officials claimed that this time they had Gaddafi dead to rights. In a Wednesday speech in Atlanta, for example, General Bernard Rogers, supreme NATO commander in Europe, said the U.S. had "indisputable evidence" that the bombing was the work of a Libyan terrorist network. Though no one would disclose it publicly, the evidence is known to consist largely of intercepted messages from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, to the "people's bureau" (as Libya calls its diplomatic missions) in East Berlin, which is believed to have dispatched a terrorist to bomb the disco...
...evidence, with one standout exception. In remarks known to reflect the views of his government, Sir Oliver Wright, British Ambassador to the U.S., told a South Carolina audience that there is indeed "uncontrovertible evidence that the Libyans have been the instigators of the most recent terrorist incidents...
...take the risks of ordering a hard, unilateral strike. Those risks are both obvious and grave. Some U.S. pilots and other service members might be killed carrying out bombing runs of the scale being contemplated. Even severe military damage might not cow Gaddafi into calling off or slowing down terrorist attacks. On the contrary, he might intensify them, as he seems to have done after the Gulf of Sidra battle. Might Gaddafi carry out terrorist attacks inside the U.S., as he has often threatened to do? "We certainly do not overlook that possibility," said a grim-faced Ronald Reagan during...
...studied the evidence concerning the disco bombing and the intercepted messages indicating that Gaddafi was ordering a new wave of terrorist attacks. Admiral Crowe voiced his concerns about firepower, and CIA Director William Casey about getting agents out of Libya. But they and everyone else present agreed with Shultz, who said, "We have taken enough punishment and beating. We have to act." For the sake of tactical surprise, it was agreed that the assault should be launched by carrier planes as soon as the flattops could get into position. Reagan directed that all precautions be taken to minimize casualties...