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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA tale of two terrorist attacks
A tale of two terrorist attacks
By Steve Benen
A terrorist attack on a U.S. outpost in the Middle East. Americans killed. Congressional hearings. Evidence that the administration failed to take security as seriously as it should have.
It was over 30 years ago that a terrorist attack on a U.S. Marine compound in Beirut killed 241 American servicemen, which came just six months after militants had bombed the U.S. embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans. Jane Mayer, who covered the attack in Lebanon at the time, reflects today on the domestic political environment and how much its changed.
Six months after the terrorist attack, militants struck American officials in Beirut again, killing the CIAs station chief. This happened during an election year, but I can find no evidence of any federal politician using this in television attack ads.
And six months after that, terrorists bombed a U.S. government outpost in Beirut once more in the middle of Reagans re-election campaign. The then-president conceded at the time that repairs at the U.S. embassy annex were behind schedule, telling the public, Anyone whos ever had their kitchen done over knows that it never gets done as soon as you wish it would.
Again, no hearings. No attack ads. No select committee. No subpoenas. No organized conspiracy theories pushed by members of Congress or their media allies. No talk about impeaching the president.
Im trying to imagine what would happen if, in todays climate, terrorists struck repeatedly at U.S. installations in a Middle Eastern country, killing hundreds of Americans.
- more -
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/tale-two-terrorist-attacks
By Steve Benen
A terrorist attack on a U.S. outpost in the Middle East. Americans killed. Congressional hearings. Evidence that the administration failed to take security as seriously as it should have.
It was over 30 years ago that a terrorist attack on a U.S. Marine compound in Beirut killed 241 American servicemen, which came just six months after militants had bombed the U.S. embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans. Jane Mayer, who covered the attack in Lebanon at the time, reflects today on the domestic political environment and how much its changed.
There were more than enough opportunities to lay blame for the horrific losses at high U.S. officials feet. But unlike todays Congress, congressmen did not talk of impeaching Ronald Reagan, who was then President, nor were any subpoenas sent to cabinet members. This was true even though then, as now, the opposition party controlled the majority in the House. Tip ONeill, the Democratic Speaker of the House, was no pushover. He, like todays opposition leaders in the House, demanded an investigation but a real one, and only one. Instead of playing it for political points, a House committee undertook a serious investigation into what went wrong at the barracks in Beirut. Two months later, it issued a report finding very serious errors in judgment by officers on the ground, as well as responsibility up through the military chain of command, and called for better security measures against terrorism in U.S. government installations throughout the world.
In other words, Congress actually undertook a useful investigation and made helpful recommendations. The reports findings, by the way, were bipartisan. (The Pentagon, too, launched an investigation, issuing a report that was widely accepted by both parties.)
Six months after the terrorist attack, militants struck American officials in Beirut again, killing the CIAs station chief. This happened during an election year, but I can find no evidence of any federal politician using this in television attack ads.
And six months after that, terrorists bombed a U.S. government outpost in Beirut once more in the middle of Reagans re-election campaign. The then-president conceded at the time that repairs at the U.S. embassy annex were behind schedule, telling the public, Anyone whos ever had their kitchen done over knows that it never gets done as soon as you wish it would.
Again, no hearings. No attack ads. No select committee. No subpoenas. No organized conspiracy theories pushed by members of Congress or their media allies. No talk about impeaching the president.
Im trying to imagine what would happen if, in todays climate, terrorists struck repeatedly at U.S. installations in a Middle Eastern country, killing hundreds of Americans.
- more -
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/tale-two-terrorist-attacks
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A tale of two terrorist attacks (Original Post)
ProSense
May 2014
OP
PubsFU
(34 posts)1. Big difference Reagan was White, Obama is Black, different standards for a Black POTUS
Just like in life, Whites get away with more then blacks.
Sucks but it is a fact of life.
tblue37
(65,227 posts)2. Also, Dems are not as vicious or as cynical about playing politics with
foreign policy or people's deaths.
PubsFU
(34 posts)3. No Dems just ignore it and hope it goes away...Look Forward and all that rot
ProSense
(116,464 posts)4. "Ignore" what? Terrorist attacks?
Welcome to DU.
liberal N proud
(60,332 posts)5. That has long frustrated me with the Democrats
They have always moved away from attacks either by or against the pukes.
Response to liberal N proud (Reply #5)
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