Reagan's War Against Terrorism
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7 Pages
In 1986, Reagan took violent action to win a battle in his war against terrorism. Reagan started serving his presidential term. The United States had been struggling with foreign nations, such as Libya, specifically relations with Muammar Gaddafi (El-Gadhafi, Quadaffi, Qadhafi). Gaddafi, the Libyan dictator first came to power in 1969. Over the past few decades, the United States tried to solve conflicts with Libya diplomatically (SOURCE). Once Reagan was elected, he tried to continue the tradition of solving conflicts diplomatically. However, Gaddafi refused to take Reagan’s threats seriously. The conflict with Libya and the United States escalated when the United States discovered that Gaddafi was behind the discotheque bombings in
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While addressing the nation, Reagan explained the Gaddafi received a warning a few weeks earlier, while he was in New Orleans that we would take action if he did not stop (“Address to the Nation…”). Yet, Gaddafi did not listen to Reagan’s countless warnings, and Gaddafi’s attacks needed to end. This attack was an act of self-defense, and was justified by Gaddafi’s previous terrorist attacks on America and other countries. The United States hoped that Operation El Dorado Canyon would give Gaddafi an incentive to stop attacking innocent people. Reagan could no longer carry out threats diplomatically as he states in his address, “ Qadhafi continued his reckless policy of intimidation, his relentless pursuit of terror. He counted on America to be passive. He counted wrong” (“Address to the Nation…”). Reagan’s address to the nation reaffirmed the nation of his views on military, and that he believes violence is necessary for terrorists to stop their actions. In my interviews, one of the interviewees was clearly a strong Republican that believed everyone loved Reagan, when in reality he was not “universally loved” as this interviewee stated (Maureen Donohue: Libyan Bombings 1986). Reagan, as the other interviewee said Reagan “ had a message the country need to hear at the time, after Watergate, Jimmy Carter being a weak president, and the Iranian hostage situation” (Rob Nadeau: Libyan Bombings 1986). Reagan had good policies and ideas, but he could not carry out an equal and efficient economic policies as he created a deficit larger than the country had ever seen, his foreign policy seemed to be aggressive and wanted to solve conflict violently rather than
While addressing the nation, Reagan explained the Gaddafi received a warning a few weeks earlier, while he was in New Orleans that we would take action if he did not stop (“Address to the Nation…”). Yet, Gaddafi did not listen to Reagan’s countless warnings, and Gaddafi’s attacks needed to end. This attack was an act of self-defense, and was justified by Gaddafi’s previous terrorist attacks on America and other countries. The United States hoped that Operation El Dorado Canyon would give Gaddafi an incentive to stop attacking innocent people. Reagan could no longer carry out threats diplomatically as he states in his address, “ Qadhafi continued his reckless policy of intimidation, his relentless pursuit of terror. He counted on America to be passive. He counted wrong” (“Address to the Nation…”). Reagan’s address to the nation reaffirmed the nation of his views on military, and that he believes violence is necessary for terrorists to stop their actions. In my interviews, one of the interviewees was clearly a strong Republican that believed everyone loved Reagan, when in reality he was not “universally loved” as this interviewee stated (Maureen Donohue: Libyan Bombings 1986). Reagan, as the other interviewee said Reagan “ had a message the country need to hear at the time, after Watergate, Jimmy Carter being a weak president, and the Iranian hostage situation” (Rob Nadeau: Libyan Bombings 1986). Reagan had good policies and ideas, but he could not carry out an equal and efficient economic policies as he created a deficit larger than the country had ever seen, his foreign policy seemed to be aggressive and wanted to solve conflict violently rather than