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From: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Newsgroups: net.followup,net.politics
Subject: Re: Air raid on Libya
Message-ID: <1338@mmintl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 6-May-86 00:19:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: mmintl.1338
Posted: Tue May  6 00:19:26 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 3-May-86 04:23:14 EDT
References: <157@unido.UUCP> <2109@yale.ARPA>
Reply-To: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Organization: Multimate International, E. Hartford, CT
Lines: 22
Xref: linus net.followup:5207 net.politics:14808

In article <2109@yale.ARPA> ksmith@yale-cheops.UUCP (Keith A. Smith) writes:
>This is not to say, however, that I in any way condone the attack.  To me
>it seems to have been a useless gesture, and hence a useless loss of life
>on both sides, because I strongly doubt that it will have the desired
>effect of detering the Libya, or anyone else, from sponsoring terrorist acts.

It now appears that there was a revolt against Qaddafi (a name I can
apparently spell any way I please) in the wake of the bombings; a revolt
which unfortunately failed.  This is best argument yet in favor of the
bombings -- if the revolt had succeeded, they would certainly not have been
useless.  In this light, I am modifying my initial negative response to the
attack, to a more neutral view.

From the evidence, it appears that Qaddafi has gone over the line from being
a shrewd but extremist nationalist leader to megalomania.  The former would
be quietly backing off now.  Qaddafi seems to be pushing harder, apparently
in the belief that he is beyond the reach of effective American power.  He
will soon learn otherwise.  Unfortunately, the lesson may prove almost as
expensive to us as it is to him.

Frank Adams                           ihnp4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
Multimate International    52 Oakland Ave North    E. Hartford, CT 06108