NEW YORK- The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has
criticized the Bush administration’s condemnation of the Israeli
strike against a terrorist leader in Gaza, pointing out that the
Reagan administration ordered the bombing of Libyan president
Moammar Qadaffi’s home and offices in 1986, even though it
knew that civilian casualties might ensue.

Because of Libyan sponsorship of a terrorist attack in Berlin in
which one American soldier was killed, President Reagan ordered the
bombing of Qadaffi’s home and offices in Tripoli, a city of one million
people, on April 14, 1986. Among the areas struck was the residential
neighborhood of Bin Ashur, killing 37 people and wounding 93, many of
them civilians. Among the casualties at Qadaffi’s home were his 15
month-old daughter Hana, who was killed, and two of his sons, ages 3 and
4, who were wounded.

The New York Times (April 19, 1986) reported that a senior
White House official said the administration “knew that this was
[Qadaffi's] residence and that he perhaps might be there and members of
his family.”

Nevertheless, after the bombing President Reagan said: “Today
we did what we had to do. If necessary, we will do it again.” For
three days in a row, the lead editorial in the New York Times defended
the bombing of Libya. In one, it argued: “For the United States to have
failed to act [after concluding that Libya was sponsoring terrorism
against Americans] would have said to the world: ‘Go ahead. Shoot.
Bomb. Kill. This tiger never bites.’ There have been times in the
shadow war of terror when the tiger could do no more than snarl and
twitch his tail–and there will be others. On Monday, American sent
a justifiably different message. The tiger bites.” (April 16, 1986)

The Bush administration condemned Israel for striking at Hamas
terrorist leader Salah Shehade on July 22, 2002, because a number of
civilians were inadvertently harmed in the operation. Hamas is
regarded by both the United States and the European Union as an
international terrorist group because of its murders of hundreds of
Israelis and Americans. Shehade himself personally masterminded dozens
of those attacks. Israel has described him as one of the most senior
Hamas terrorists, in line to become the group’s next leader.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said: “Reagan was right
in 1986, and Israel is right today. The Palestinian Authority bears the
moral and legal responsibility for any harm to Arab civilians that occur
during anti-terrorism actions by the United States or Israel. The PA has
refused to arrest Hamas terrorists, has refused to outlaw Hamas, and has
permitted Hamas to operate in civilian areas.”

Ironically, on the same day as the Israeli action, Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, in reference to reports that as many as
400 Afghani civilians have been killed during recent U.S. actions against
terrorists in Afghanistan, “It’s an unfortunate fact of war that,
inevitably, innocent civilians are killed. This has been true, true
throughout the history of warfare, and it remains true even in this age
of advanced technology and precision-guided munitions.” (New York Times,
July 23, 2002)

A Luntz poll in August 2001 found 73% of Americans believe
Israel is “justified” in “attempting to kill” a terrorist when “Israel
has proof that a terrorist is planning a suicide bomb or other act of
terrorism that is likely to result in the death of Israelis.”

This entry was posted on Friday, July 26th, 2002 and is filed under opinion.