It ‘probably’ had happened before but we sort of ‘blew it’ (again) when we were in Kuwait, helping to stave off an Iraqi (or Irani??) invasion into Saudi Arabia and the gracious hosts in SA wanted our Chaplains out of the country or did not want them wearing their symbols.
“Love me, Love my Priest, Rabbi, Minister etc etc and WHOMEVER may tend to my flock of troops who are willing to die to save your bacon.” (Did that wizz you off? Good).
Yet, we ‘obeyed’ and removed people rather than tell them to pound salt...
No better than LBJ and his handling of the Pueblo & Liberty crises.
As much as I admire President R Reagan, I find it hard to ‘forgive’ him when it came to the Marine Barracks Beirut when the troglodytes were firing at the INTERNATIONAL rescue workers that were trying to retrieve the injured and dead.
That hillside should have been leveled. The New Jersey was off shore as were several other USN Firing Platforms.
Agreed!
We should have been salting their earth from the get go!
That’s all they understand.