Ronald Reagan made a big mistake by having 241 U.S. Marines used as hostages in Beirut, Lebanon in October, 1983. A bomb-laden truck, driven by a Shia Iran-sponsored terrorist drove into the U.S Marine base and killed 241 Americans. The Commander-in-Chief had given the order that the sentries protecting the base were forbidden, by formal "rules of engagement," to not have BULLETS in their rifles. A colossal blunder by Ronald Reagan and we simply left Lebanon a few months later.

Ronald Reagan should have been impeached over his bumbling in Beirut, Lebanon in October, 1983.

There was no retaliation for the Beirut bombing from the Reagan administration. In the meantime, the attack gave a boost to the growth of the Shi'ite organization Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied involvement in the attacks but was seen by Lebanese as involved nonetheless as it praised the "two martyr Mujahideen" who "set out to inflict upon the Reagan Administration an utter defeat not experienced since Vietnam ..." Hezbollah was now seen by many as "the spearhead of the sacred Muslim struggle against foreign occupation". The Marines were moved offshore where they could not be targeted. On February 7, 1984, President Reagan ordered the Marines to begin withdrawal from Lebanon.

Many Republicans say, "As I recall, it was Congress that forced the Marines out of Lebanon." Ronald Reagan was the C-in-C in 1983. Do you know what that means? U.S. President Ronald Reagan called the attack a "despicable act" and pledged to keep a military force in Lebanon. (just blathering and bloviating?) Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, who had privately advised the administration against ever having stationed U.S. Marines in Lebanon, said there would be no change in U.S. Lebanon policy. Vice President George H. W. Bush toured the Marine bombing site on October 26 and said the U.S. "would not be cowed by terrorists." (the Republican administration WAS!)

There was no retaliation for the Beirut bombing from the Reagan administration. In the meantime, the attack gave a boost to the growth of the Shi'ite organization Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied involvement in the attacks but was seen by Lebanese as involved nonetheless as it praised the "two martyr Mujahideen" who "set out to inflict upon the Reagan Administration an utter defeat not experienced since Vietnam ..." Hezbollah was now seen by many as "the spearhead of the sacred Muslim struggle against foreign occupation". The Marines were moved offshore where they could not be targeted. On February 7, 1984, President Reagan ordered the Marines to begin withdrawal from Lebanon.

Many Republicans say, "As I recall, it was Congress that forced the Marines out of Lebanon." Ronald Reagan was the C-in-C in 1983. Do you know what that means? U.S. President Ronald Reagan called the attack a "despicable act" and pledged to keep a military force in Lebanon. (just blathering and bloviating?) Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, who had privately advised the administration against ever having stationed U.S. Marines in Lebanon, said there would be no change in U.S. Lebanon policy. Vice President George H. W. Bush toured the Marine bombing site on October 26 and said the U.S. "would not be cowed by terrorists." (the Republican administration WAS!)

Just how godless and immoral are these Republicans and conservatives who so casually play politics with national security??

By 1985, the CIA's network of Soviet-bloc agents began disappearing at an alarming rate. The CIA realized something was wrong, but was reluctant to consider the possibility of an agency mole. Initial investigations focused on possible breaches caused by Soviet bugs or by a broken code. The CIA then blamed asset losses on another former CIA agent, Edward Lee Howard, who had also been passing information to the Soviets. But when the CIA lost three other important sources of information about whom Howard could have known nothing, it was clear that the arrests (and executions) originated from another source. Let's cut to the chase. The Soviet Union collapsed despite the USA, not because of it.

Card-carrying Republicans and dupes of the Republican party have been instructed to say that the USA and Ronald Reagan did a lot to help Solidarity (of Poland) and other anti-Communists in defeating the USSR in the 1980's. Here's the scoop; remember Aldrich Ames? Aldrich Ames has been in prison for several decades now. Aldrich Ames worked in the CIA for the Soviet-East European Division in Washington, placing him "in the most sensitive element" of the Department of Operations because it was responsible for Soviet counterintelligence activities. Ames had access to all CIA plans and operations against the KGB and the GRU, Soviet military intelligence.

Wow, looks like we are still BAILING out the VICTIMS 25 years later. I wonder if conservatives here wish the government would treat the unemployed with this kind of conservatism? I could have collected a large unemployment check every month for five years and when my job skills had deteriorated, I could be declared a 'victim' and President Ronald Reagan would mandate an even bigger check, a so-called 'bailout' from the federal government, perhaps several hundred grand. And now, in the year 2012, with farm subsidy handouts and ethanol mandates peaked at $35 billion a year, are we any closer to a free market in agriculture?