U.S. Retaliatory Raid on Libya
April 14, 1986, is “a day which will live in infamy,” to remember the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt about Dec. 7, 1941.
Quoting from a much more recent popular President, Ronald Reagan (as reported in The Times, April 15): “The Libyan people are a decent people, caught in the grip of a tyrant.” That did not, however, stop some of them from being blown to pieces by American missiles exploded in the darkness of 2 a.m.
Is that our concept of justice? When some innocent person is murdered, come as close as you can to identifying the murderer, but in any case, without delay, grab somebody and kill him. That supposedly will deter the murderer, whom we guess we have just killed, from committing more murders.
What is the difference between the reasoning behind a bomb attack on an area known to be frequented by Americans and missile attacks on buildings in Libya thought to be the locations of training centers for terrorists? In fact, the Americans, whoever they are, may be assumed to have elected Ronald Reagan as their President and all that follows from that act, just as the Libyans and any others caught in the blast of our missiles may be somehow faulted for having submitted to the rule of their tyrant.
The only real difference is that Ronald Reagan is the President of the most powerful nation on earth militarily, dominating a Congress that has no disposition to impeach him.
Unfortunately, the weapons we use in this game of international outlawry have been put together more precisely.
DON L. HEAD
Los Angeles
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