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POLITICS.
Libya attack sparks? controversy
Worldwide troubles fueled by U.S.-Libya conflict
By Fnuxb Cbu
GMO"C1 Moammar Khadafy, The
men- mention of the umc conjure*
up the image of the madman, the
leader of Db>».
In the put few months. Col.
Khadafy hat become the Reagan Atlnunluratfja's
symbol for intcrra*
f tonal terrorism and has been called
an "evil and dangeruui nudmaa."
The principal rtxton for this image
of Khadafy b that evidence snows
Khadafy yipporu and trains terrorists,
evidence that has been term-
ed by the Reagan Administration as
conclusive and indupuuWc.
Khadafy. who gained power in
1969, envisions a united Arab world
and has put forth his ideas in the three
volume Grrtn Book, modeled after
Mao-tie Tung's UtU Red Book. He
views violence and terrorism as a
Kceiury nKans to achieve hit dream
of Arab unity.
The Rome and Vienna Airport
massacirs cm December 27 last year
lulled 19 and injured 110. including
many Americans, and was the action
of Palestinian terrorists headed by
Fighting terror
with terror -
will it ever stop?
By Ann Liu
Only lime will tell if the American bombing of Libya will actually
help stop terrorism. For now, the majority of Amc.icarn
support President Ronald Reagan's decision. Yet, in the future,
will the effect of this attack do more haim than good?
Many leaders ofFuropeancounit>supicu fears that Khadafy
will seek vengeance for the air strikes MI t£yu. nircau;, two
weeks ago, two kidnapped Briions and one kidnapped American
were found dead in the outskirts of Beirut.
The ymup claiming responsibility for the slaying* of the two
Briions. Leigh Douglas and Philip Padfictd. atid American, Peter
Kilbom of Berkeley, California, calls itself the Arab Revolutionary
Cells, a group believed lo be linked to Abu Nidal.
"...the existence of terrorist
groups within the United States is still
uncertain."
After trying; economic sanctions and public condemnation,
Reagan .noved lo bomb Libya, and in doing so, showed Libya lhat
America will not tolerate terrorism.
Reagzn's retaliation can be amsidrrcd justifiable, for now: but
maybe Reagan failed to realize what might result fr< m the attack.
Perhaps be was so infuriated because of the continued terrorism
thzt he did not consider the fact that many innocent lives will continue
to be laa.
The only apparent reason for attacking Libya was revenge for
the bombing of the LaBelle discotheque, a disco frequented by
American GU. Hob>a. Tbc*< w*cr. arc considered
international, and they had '•.very
right to be in lh»e water*.
This aiucl was to warn Khadafy
of the practice of the U.S. Sixih
Fleet iJid to admonish his support of
terrorist activities.
Khadafy wemed untaunted: the
hwnhtng of tiie La Belle Diwothcquc
in West Berlin left two dead and 110
injure.!. Once again, evidence pointed
•j> 1 ibyant u perpetrator* of the act.
East Germany had appeared to let
the Ubyan plotters, who were
ordered to bomb an undisclosed
target by the Libyan People's
Bureau, into West Berlin; western
intelligence had known about the
"plan" H»t had acted "15 rpiiKjio
too late ' to save the discotheque.
Even wftile the Berlin cue was being
investigated, other Libyan terrorin
plou werr uncovered — France
expelled (wo Libyan diplomau
because of unpccied terrorist plans.
President Reagan conferred with
U>p cabinet members and a decision
to act agauui Ub>a was reached.
There was a delay between the decilion
a go ahead with the strife and
the atuck it*clf in order to plan Uic
strike, obtain maximum firepower
and «ck Allied support.
President Reagan had hoped that,
in the case of toughrr economic and
politics! sanx.kxn agreed upon by the
Allies, the attack might have been
called off. It was not.
At approxinotely 7 o.ir. EST on
April 14, U.S. Navy A-6E. A-7E and
Air Force FB-111 bombers swooped
down on their targets In and around
the Libycn cities of Tripoli and
Benghui. Targets included airfield!,
suspected terrorist training camps,
miliury installations, ard the El-
Azziziya Barracks, the compound
where Khadafy and his fj. tily lived.
The strike had been carried out by
planes from the carriers in the
Mediterranean and from airbasrt in
Erf land. The FB-t IU from England
had to fly an ewra 2800 nautical miles
around France and Spain because
those countries would not allow the
use of their airspace for the strike.
Hi£h'iech laser guided gravity
•jombj, and cluster bombs cured
much damage, although damage
defense." tndcal. that w how many
in Washington. DC. defended the
President s action.
France, West Germany, and
especially lta>y *cre concerned about
the ruk or haviitj a war that they did
not particularly care for fought on
their soil.
The American public, however,
seemed to approve of President
Reagan's r *oo: a poL* taken after the
The bombing or the LaBtUc discotheque spvkrtf the United States
to retaliate.
unciffifinncd.
sketchy and
After the attack. Libyan official*
toured foreign journalists around
what they hive been Mated
wreckage, and Libyans were quick to
*how the destruction of civilian sectors
of Tripoli and the d*t.;agcd
foreign embassies, which analysts
suggested might have been caused by
misguided Libyan anti-aircnfl
missiles.
Two of Khadafy's sons were injured,
and his adopted baby daughter,
Hana. was reportedly killed In the
strike.
Khadafy vowed revenue and pro*
miscd LJDTC terrorist attacks against
the Americam and those w ho opposed
him.
Fallout irom the atuck followed
swifUy. AHic* bad doubts ahoui the
effectiveness of the attack and feared
further escalation of tcnoru.n in
Western Eurojw.
The Bntish criticized Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher for
allowing British atrbaves to be stag*
ing arcai for the strike. Thuchcr.
who herself stated in January Uur a
stride aeaimt Libya would surety
cause more chaos, defended the
American action as one o( "self-
strike showed an astoauhuis 77 percent
approval rate, compared with a
previous high of 56 percent.
Many critics of the atuck have
pointed out :hat such an attack would
not change Khadafy*s policies;
rather. •* would further his cause in
uniting the Arabs, which is wttal is
hspoening — the Arab nations have
protested th-r Urrtod State* attack on
Libya.
There is also a question of why
Libya was choten as the target when
countries such «s Syria and Iran arc
also training and supporting
terrorists.
It U obvious that one such suike
will not eliminate terrorism, and the
Reagaa Administration u now faced
with retaliating yftcr every act of terrorism
or not acting by force vjizz:
a tcrrorisi supporting nation.
Representative Robert Mkhd of Illinois
characterized the present situation
in the following way:
"We are in a war. It b a new kind
of war. It is a termott wir. We are
going over the thrcshhold; we arc
ploughing new ground, and we have
to think what conies neM."
It appears that the tonfliu between
the U.S. and Ubya b far from over.
and it U likely to become worse
before it jcti better.
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