Dueling Terminals
Editor's Note: Dueling Terminals is an
attempt to present opposing sides of an issue.
The cx)lumnist mav or may not be arguing a par
ticular viewpoint with which he/she agrees.
Reagan’s attack on Libya:
Fuel to the fire or a lesson to terrorists?
Pro
By Pat Cabe
Critics of the Ameri
can attack on terrorist
breeding ground in Lib
ya are jumping up and
down crying that Presi-
dent Reagan was just
dying for an opportun
ity, and in fact may
have created an oppor
tunity, to "get back"
at that "mad dog" Lib
yan leader, Moammar
Khadafy.
In fact, Reagan’s de
cision to order air
strikes against Libya
is the culmination of
long internal admini
stration debate.
It was with reluc
tance that Reagan chose
to use military power
as a deterrent to the
future exportation of
terrorism by Khadafy.
In his address to the
American people Monday
night, Reagan said of
Con
By David Proffitt
The sun’s first rays
peeked timidly over the
dome of the mosque,
growing bolder with
each passing minute. In
a few hours, sitting
outside bareheaded
Would be downright un
comfortable, but for
the moment the old man
sat contentedly in his
doorway, idly chewing
on a dirty blade of
yellow grass and watch
ing the village stir to
life.
He could hear his
wife of 40 years stir-
i*ing around inside,
puttering back and
forth between an an
cient stove and table.
The door slammed open
and a six-year-old
grandson and his mangy
pup dashed past him.
’’G’morning, Father."
The old man looked
up. His eldest stood
before him, his dark
the action, "I wish it
were otherwise."
The U.S. exhausted
all peaceful avenues of
action in its attempt
to halt Libyan terror
ist activity.
The Reagan adminis
tration afforded Khada
fy ample opportuntity
to halt the training
and exportation "»f ter
rorists.
The U.S. imposed eco
nomic sanctions against
Libya. Attempts were
made by Reagan adminis
tration officials to
convince U.S. allies to
impose economic sanc
tions also. Unfortun
ately, there was little
cooperation among the
allies.
The U.S. attempted to
engage in diplomatic
negotiations with the
Libyan leader. These
negotiations were
useless.
Military force was
considered as a last
resort and is perhaps
"the only language"
that Khadafy "seems to
understand" as Reagan
said on Tuesday.
I n his decision to
use force against Lib
ya, Reagan specified
that the targets would
be only those that con
tributed to Libya’s
terrorist capabilities.
Every precaution was
taken to avoid the un
necessary deaths of
Libyan civilians. Khad
afy demonstrates no
such humanity when
choosing the sites in
College Press Service
0
S nioD
^ m
n
eyes intense and pierc
ing even after a long
night of drilling in
the foothills.
”’Lo."
The two men stared at
each other.
"Why do you go up
there with those fana
tics, my son? Can you
not see that all you
are is fodder for a
creature that will pick
von up, chew on you
while stealing your
best years, and then
spit you out in disgust
when you can no longer
serve it?" ,
The younger man s
square jaw tightened
noticeably. His
narrowed as he strug
gled to hold back the
familiar, angry words.
"You go up into the
hills and train with a
bunch of radicals who
swear allegiance to a
maniac -“ a man who
uses the people's radio
to spread his messages
of hate and murder — a
man who thinks he can
fight the most powerful
nation on earth."
His chin trembling
with emotion, the old
man’s watery eyes glar
ed at his son.
’’Father..."
’’Look what he has
done to us! His rheto
ric has brought the
wrath of the Americans
down on our capitol.
Our children..."
The younger man ex
ploded wrathfully, the
spittle on his lips
landing on his father's
bedraggled doak.
"You are such an
idiot! So uninformed!
So naive! Can you not
see through the imperi
alist Americans’ They
are nothing but dogs,
just like their friends
the Israelis."
He spat forcefully on
the ground.
"They are dogs, but
eventually we will wipe
them from the earth.
This latest tactic will
do nothing but streng
then us, for we will
regain our land. One
which to plant bombs or
to send armed terror
ists that will kill and
maim innocent people.
The decision to use
U.S. military force is
founded on documented
and ii^refutable evi
dence that the Libyan
government has ordered
terrorist attacks
against Americans. De
spite the disapproval
of the attack by U.S.
European allies, they
have not questioned
Reagan's evidence. Even
House Speaker Tip
O'Neil supports Rea
gan's decision!
The U.S. strike
against Libya will not
put an end to terror
ism. However, it may
show the world that the
U.S. will not tolerate
terrorism.
The United States is
not a nation that puts
blinders on to terror
ism and stands by while
|the random murder of
jinnocent people contin-
lues.
day the Arab nations
will all come to see
this and we will band
together to wipe this
slime from the face of
the earth, and the
earth will rejoice!
"We will overcome
them, and if I die be
fore it happens, my
sons will take my
place."
The old man stared
tiredly at his son.
Suddenly, his dark
haired grandson burst
around the corner,
clutching a stick as
tall as himself with
both hands.
"Ta-ta-ta-ta! Ha!
You're all dead, you
American dogs!" he yel
led jublilantly.
"You bomb us? Die and
burn in hell!"
The words echobv. off
the stone walls as the
boy raced off. The old
man stared into the
sun. The younger man
smiled at his first
born's outburst.