The 1980s was an incredibly dangerous time for the national security of the United States. While President Ronald Reagan fiercely opposed the Soviet Union to help end the Cold War, America had many challenges in the Middle East. Whereas this nation is currently fighting against Iran to end this oppressive regime, for the last several decades every American president has been tied to this volatile region.
Libyan Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi took control of this North African nation in 1969 with the goal of exerting further control over the Mediterranean Sea against American naval dominance. Qaddafi viewed himself as a leader of Arab nations to oppose peaceful agreements like the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. He expected to emerge as a strong figure in the Third World to oppose American and Western expansion by using weapons, money, and terrorism. This former dictator funded Muslim groups, Palestinian guerrillas, the Irish Republican Army, and, locally, the Black Panthers.
Qaddafi illegally stated that the entire waters of the Gulf of Sidra were Libyan, near the city of Misurata, toward the western part of the Benghazi Gulf. This government considered encroachment beyond these Libyan borders as “the line of death” against all opposing nations, of which they considered their territorial limit twelve miles off this boundary line. The major powers never recognized the legitimacy of Qaddafi’s maritime proclamations, which were challenged by the presence of American aircraft carriers. Tensions between the two nations turned deadly in August 1981, when two American naval F-14 fighter jets downed two Libyan SU-22 fighters some sixty miles off their coast.
Numerous times, American planes crossed the Libyan “line of death” to fly operations beyond this created Libyan line. Later, Qaddafi headed in a patrol boat to oppose the American Sixth Fleet as it conducted its own operations near Libya. There was an early pattern of Libyan terrorism, from the 1979 attack on the American Embassy in Tripoli to the planned threats by Qaddafi to kill the American ambassadors in Khartoum, Sudan, and Cairo, Egypt.
Conditions worsened between these two nations, as Libya was targeted for the terrorist killing of five Americans at the Rome and Vienna airports. Reagan blamed Qaddafi, froze Libyan assets, and, on March 24, 1986, American naval forces destroyed four enemy boats. About ten days later, the Libyans were tied to the bombing of the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin that killed one and injured fifty American military members. In 2001, four people were convicted in Berlin of carrying out this 1986 terrorist attack.
By April 14, Reagan ordered a massive air attack against Tripoli and Benghazi by fourteen A-6E fighter planes and eighteen F-111 bombers from England. They were forced to fly 2,600 miles more, as the French government refused to allow American aircraft to fly over their nation for this operation. “Operation El Dorado Canyon” used two hundred American aircraft and sixty tons of bombs to hit military facilities; one of Qaddafi’s residences, barracks, runways, and weapons were all targeted.
Reagan responded toward the protection of Americans: “When our citizens are abused or attacked anywhere in the world, we will respond in self-defense. Today we have done what we had to do. If necessary, we shall do it again.” While Libya was hurt by these strikes, a terrorist organization tied to Qaddafi quickly authorized the killing of three Americans who worked for the American University in Beirut.
On March 16, 1984, William Buckley, a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) station chief in Lebanon, was abducted by terrorists on his way to the American Embassy. Before his capture, Buckley met with a senior figure from the Mossad, where they planned to take Israeli and American Green Berets from Tel Aviv to a Lebanese seaport. Buckley was a Korean War company commander of the 1st Cavalry Division and was awarded a Silver Star for his bravery in taking a North Korean machine gun. Later, in the Vietnam War, his vigor against the enemy earned him two Purple Hearts, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, and the Combat Infantry Badge. Against the Viet Cong, Buckley carried out secret operations against their top leaders.
Lieutenant Colonel Buckley was a specialist in military and intelligence operations on how to thwart hostile forces. Before being stationed in Beirut, Buckley was a CIA officer who grasped the importance of international terrorism. The Incident Response and main parts of the Counterterrorism Team were created from his covert actions in Cambodia, Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Zaire. He was expected to lead a top-secret mission to overcome the terrorists and free the hostages. The American intelligence operatives in Lebanon opposed the growing actions of the terrorists, who had already killed and captured members of the CIA, the State Department, and military figures.
From 1982–1992, thirty Westerners were taken in Lebanon; some died in captivity, and others were released back to their home nations. Buckley was stationed in Beirut, in this historically beautiful area that became one of the most dangerous for Americans to reside. It is believed that Buckley was a high-value target who was detained in Lebanon, taken through Syria, and given to the Iranians. He died on June 3, 1985, of torture by the terrorists and the Iranian government. This senior specialist, Buckley, was from Medford, Massachusetts, and he was one of nine Americans who were taken by mostly Iranian-backed terrorists. Enduring terrible abuse, Buckley was forced to write a confession about his responsibilities in the Middle East.
After 2,454 days of being held as a prisoner by Hezbollah, American journalist Terry Anderson was released on December 4, 1991. A longtime reporter for the Associated Press, he played tennis with his co-worker and photographer Don Mell. At his friend’s home in Beirut, he was taken by gunmen. As one of the few Western journalists in Lebanon, Anderson was intently watched by Hezbollah for his reporting on this terrorist organization. This abduction was carried out by the pro-Iran Islamic Jihad group, which continually carried out plans to take Americans in retaliation for its presence and policies in the Middle East.
For over six years, Anderson was moved around Lebanon, held in captivity, beaten, threatened with death, and held in solitary confinement. Being a hostage who understood the culture of the Middle East, Anderson argued with his captors, demanded better food, and taught other hostages how to use sign language to communicate. He had a strong wit and devotion to helping his fellow hostages; whereas, as a combat journalist during two tours in Vietnam, this service helped him handle the rigors of confinement. Anderson was blindfolded, chained by his hands and feet, and later stated that he “almost went insane,” but his strong faith in Catholicism prevented him from committing suicide.
Returning home, Anderson gave speeches, taught journalism at major universities, operated a blues bar and a Cajun restaurant, and enjoyed operating a ranch. But the years of torment caused him to deal with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Later, Anderson was given millions of dollars from frozen Iranian assets to compensate him for his many years of captivity. He spent the rest of his life on a small horse farm in the rural countryside of northern Virginia.