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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsReagan's Benghazi
Some here are not old enough to remember this incident. I vaguely remember it. But I think it's safe to say Saint Ronny wasn't threatened with impeachment, and harassed endlessly about this even though the death toll was infinitely worse. I like to bring this up (along with 9/11) whenever I hear conservatives bring up Benghazi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_barracks_bombing
The Beirut Barracks Bombings (October 23, 1983, in Beirut, Lebanon) occurred during the Lebanese Civil War when two truck bombs struck separate buildings housing United States and French military forcesmembers of the Multinational Force (MNF) in Lebanonkilling 299 American and French servicemen. An obscure group calling itself 'Islamic Jihad' claimed responsibility for the bombings.[1]
Suicide bombers detonated each of the truck bombs. In the attack on the building serving as a barracks for the 1st Battalion 8th Marines (Battalion Landing Team - BLT 1/8), the death toll was 241 American servicemen: 220 Marines, 18 sailors and three soldiers, making this incident the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Marine Corps since World War II's Battle of Iwo Jima, the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States military since the first day of the Vietnam War's Tet Offensive, and the deadliest single attack on Americans overseas since World War II.[2] Another 128 Americans were wounded in the blast. Thirteen later died of their injuries, and they are numbered among the total number who died.[3] An elderly Lebanese man, a custodian/vendor who was known to work and sleep in his concession stand next to the building, was also killed in the first blast.[4][5][6] The explosives used were later estimated to be equivalent to as much as 9,525 kg (21,000 pounds) of TNT.[7][8]
In the attack on the French barracks, the nine-story 'Drakkar' building, 58 paratroopers from the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment were killed and 15 injured by a second truck bomb. This attack occurred just minutes after the attack on the American Marines. It was France's single worst military loss since the end of the Algerian War.[9] The wife and four children of a Lebanese janitor at the French building were also killed, and more than twenty other Lebanese civilians were injured.[10]
These attacks eventually led to the withdrawal of the international peacekeeping force from Lebanon, where they had been stationed since the withdrawal of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)Reagan was lucky he has a Democratic House and Democratic Senate his entire 8 years or he would have been impeached. Yep I even think Republicans would have back then. He was not sacred until he died.
LordGlenconner
(1,348 posts)Granted this is Wikipedia, but very little was mentioned. I sort of recall Reagan getting some heat over it in the initial days and weeks , but I don't recall him being harassed 2-3 years later.
JHB
(37,158 posts)Reagan benefitted from the view among the Democratic leadership that Amereicans didn't want and didn't need "another failed presidency".
That view saved Reagan's bacon 2-3 years later, by which time other serious scandals of Reagan's became impossible to avoid addressing.
CANDO
(2,068 posts)I'm pretty sure the R's held the Senate for 2 years. Like 82-84 or 84 to 86. Didn't make much difference though.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,919 posts)The Democrats regained it in 1986.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)I was pretty young and didn't think that Americans were that irresponsible back then (besides reelecting Reagan). Thanks again.
atreides1
(16,072 posts)I was in the US Army and had been on active duty for 5 years when this bombing occurred.
underpants
(182,769 posts)JHB
(37,158 posts)...which is not to say they didn't milk the change in the focus of media attention for all they were worth.
underpants
(182,769 posts)malaise
(268,930 posts)I'll never forget
spartan61
(2,091 posts)My husband was in the Marine Corps then and was in Beirut during the bombing. I didn't know for a week if he was one of the 220 Marines who were killed. Thankfully he wasn't. Why was St Ronnie treated with kid gloves afterwards, just like he was treated with kid gloves during Iran/Contra? I can feel my stomach turn whenever I hear the repukes praise this poor excuse for a president. I rate him right there with W.