Looking Back on the Reagan Presidency
"The Middle East"
By Robert J. Lieber
Lieber's article is a balanced account of the Reagan policies in the Middle East. He points out that there were several positive outcomes which arose out of his policies, although some were negative. Because of this balanced account, there is not a need to present both sides of the argument. Lieber discusses four case studies: The Security of Oil Supplies; Regional Stability and Terrorism; Relations with Friends; and Containing Soviet Influence. For the purposes of this comparison, we focus on the last three cases.
In the Regional Stability and Terrorism case, Lieber discusses Lebanon, Iran, and Libya. We will focus on Lebanon and Libya, but a thorough discussion of Iran can be found on Mark Lindsay and Kevin Grady's discussion about the Iran-Contra situation. With regards to Lebanon, Lieber argues that it is the most costly to the Reagan administration both politically and militarily. Brought in to help withdraw the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1982, the Marines became bogged down into conflict because of periodic skirmishes with Arab forces. The fighting culminated in October 1983 when 241 Marines were killed by a bombing of their barracks. The administration was forced to withdraw the remaining troops suddenly. No progress was made in the Arab-Israeli peace process, and the role of Syria in Lebanon increased.
Libya, on the other hand, was a much more successful situation for the administration. Sanctions were placed on Libya in 1981 in response to government-sponsored terrorism, and several other conflicts arose. Two Libyan MIG fighter planes were shot down in a dogfight with US fighter planes, and the conflict culminated in 1986 with a bombing raid on Libya which included the Presidential Palace. In this case, Lieber feels that the administration acted prudently.