European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes saturday april 19, 1986 James Reston air raid on Libya hardly an unqualified Success after the american air raid on Libya it was rally round the Flag boys Here in Washington. But there Are Many unanswered questions about the Wisdom of this adventure. This was supposed to be a Surprise at tack yet the president and his aides were on the air for Over a week telling col. Khad Afy that the americans were coming. Why warn him in Advance and give him the Chance to move american citizens into target areas or even to take them hostage the administration s theory or at least its Hope was that this bombing raid would demonstrate president Reagan s determination to stamp out terrorism. But did the administration really believe this and if so Why arc All departments and agencies in Washington and All our embassies abroad now on special Alert and Why arc american citizens being advised of the risks of travelling abroad this sum Mer the president has proclaimed the raid a  but How would he know at this Early Date How Many lives were lost in this so called surgical strike did it Iso late khad Afy or bring the Arab world to his Side assume for example that Reagan terrorized the libyan Leader and the other terrorists. What would the russians do probably nothing except to convince Kha Day As they have been trying to do Ever since he took Over Libya that the soviet Union should have a permanent naval base at Tripoli in the Middle of the Mediterranean. Such a development would be some Success not for Reagan or even for Kha Day but for Mikhail Gorbachev the soviet Leader and his naval strategic planners in Moscow. Moscow lost no time in making its position Clear on the libyan raid and linking it to the larger questions of United states soviet relations. After calling the attack on Libya a criminal action the russians cancelled the meeting that was to take place in May Between Secretary of state Shultz and so Viet foreign minister Shevardnadze to Dis cuss the Agenda for a Reagan Gorbachev meeting later in the year. Had the president considered the effect of the bombing raid on Allied congressional and soviet relations this is what is Norman d. Sander Alu now beginning to be debated. Maybe the most important question being asked in this and in Allied capitals is what has come Over Reagan recently to inspire this aggressive military response to his problems in the Mediterranean for some time he has been criticized As a ceremonial president dependent primarily on his staff. But recently As if in resentment against these charges he has been More assertive demanding his own Way with Congress and the allies. The main question is whether this is achieving the ends he seeks or the opposite. Not Only khad Afy s communist and islamic supporters but also leaders from Spain Italy Greece Denmark Norway the Netherlands and Japan have Allex pressed reservations about the attack. Meanwhile there Are some other puzzling questions. With our aircraft carriers off Sicily within easy striking distance of Libya Why choose fighter bombers out of Britain Only to be refused air passage Over France and be forced to Detour around Spain for fear of incurring that country s opposition As Well the answer we get is that Reagan was determined to demonstrate to the allies that he would strike Libya with or without their cooperation and to remind khad Afy that even without aircraft carriers in the Region the . Could hit him with land based bombers thousands of Miles away. At least some of the allies especially the French Are disturbed by charges that they Are being soft on khad Afy and indifferent to the threat of terrorism. The French confirm that their embassy in Tripoli was hit by our bombers but More important that they believe they have done More to contain khad Afy s ambitions in Chad by quiet military and diplomatic actions than we Are Likely to achieve by these dramatic raids. So there clearly Are doubts in Washington serious doubts that Are not being expressed in Public. This is True not Only in the Allied embassies where some officials Are inclined to believe that the Only winners in this struggle so far Are the russians and khad Afy. All this of course is denied by the administration but these unanswered questions Are Likely to emerge in the coming debate if the president insists that he will bomb the libyans again if they Don t be have. C new York times . Raid on Libya was Swiff but was if effective the latest . Attack on Libya was rooted in a 5-year-old vow by presi Dent Reagan of Swift and effective retribution against terrorism. While it was Swift even Reagan acknowledges that its effectiveness remains to be seen. From the earliest Days of his presidency Reagan has leaped at the Chance to Chal Lenge libyan Leader Moa mar khad Afy in words and actions pulling the Tail of the mad dog of the Middle East to test and at times to provoke. When . Forces struck against libyan naval vessels and missile batteries last month Reagan justified the action As self defense exercising the right of free Pas Sage in International Waters. At the time other administration officials made no secret of the fact that . Warships and aircraft had crossed the Kha Day proclaimed line of death in anticipation of a military response that would invite retaliation. There was no such pretext monday As . Aircraft struck what Reagan called the Headquarters terrorist facilities and military assets that support Moa mar khad Afy s subversive  the Prin Ciple the president said was not revenge but self defense fully consistent with the United nations charter. Today he said we have done what we had to do. If necessary we shall do it again. It gives me no pleasure to say that and i wish it were otherwise. I have no illusion that tonight s action will ring Down the curtain on khad Afy s reign of terror. But this Mission violent though it was can bring closer a safer and More secure world for decent men and women. We will persevere he said. The military option Long a Point of Contention within the administration was intended not so much to bring terrorists to Justice As to Send a message or a series of messages to khad Afy the libyan people and . Allies. Secretary of state George Shultz said the action was sure to some degree to reduce khad Afy s capability to sponsor Ter ror. Just As important he said we also have registered the Point with him and with other libyans that they will pay a Price that there is a Cost to engaging in terrorism around the  administration officials characterized the air attacks not As an end in themselves but As further escalation of an american Campaign of pressure on khad Afy. Having All but exhausted other unilateral action including economic and diplomatic Isola Tion Reagan has turned to military action As one of the few options available to him in the absence of support from West euro Pean allies. The fact that France denied permission for full fighter bombers based in Britain to Fly a direct route Over France to targets in Libya More than doubling their Fly ing time underlined the problem Rea Gan faces in organizing a unified Effort to isolate or destabilize khad Afy. Emboldened by support from con Gress and the Public Reagan left the threat of further military reprisals against khad Afy hanging in the air. But even his advisers agree that his pledge to ensure that terrorists have no Sanctuary any where and to Force khad Afy to cease his relentless Pursuit of terror will require More than the surgical strikes carried out monday night. One Hope is that the perceived Success of the . Action will diminish Allied reluctance to turn against khad Afy. To some . Officials a concerted Effort by the West to Cut Libya off from the rest of the world appears the Only realistic Way to Deal with khad Afy Short of an All out military confrontation. The latter car Ries the risk of damaging political repercussions or rebellion within Libya itself which the administration would like to see but is limited in its ability to promote. The . Air strikes monday May have done Little More than bought additional time to determine the next step. 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