Monday is the 40th anniversary of the worst day of Ronald Reagan’s Presidency, when Islamic terrorists used truck bombs to kill 307 people, including 241 Americans, at the Marine barracks in Beirut. The echoes of that assault can be heard in the debate over how Israel should respond to the Oct. 7 slaughter of some 1,400 innocents on its soil, including at least 31 Americans.
A group called Islamic Jihad, a predecessor to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, took responsibility for the bombing. Many U.S. officials believe Iran was behind the suicide bombings, though the Reagan Administration never fixed specific blame. It also didn’t respond militarily, and Reagan withdrew U.S. soldiers from Beirut.
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