soreff (07/31/82)
It is not the case, as A. Ray Miller states, that the death in the Libyan incident was "unfortunate but certainly unavoidable". Had the US conducted its naval operations elsewhere, which was certainly within Reagan's power, the death could have been avoided. "Self defense" becomes a rather fuzzy concept when used during an action which is intentionally provocative, and known to be so from the outset. The actions of the pilots in the task force when in the gulf of Sidra may well have been defensive. This does not imply that the act of sending them there in the first place (a premeditated act ,"in cold blood") was defensive.
smb (08/01/82)
References: hplabs.598 Re the Gulf of Sidra incident: remember how days before it happened, NEWSWEEK reported that Reagan had decided to conduct the exercises there as a deliberate provocation to the Libyans. Not that I have any love for them -- I think Khadaffhi is the most dangerous world leader around today -- but that doesn't exonerate Reagan of any responsibility. (To be sure, Libya bears at least as much responsibility for responding to the provocation with an armed attack.)