Fighting Fire with Fire

Since the first bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut, in April 1983, Secretary of State George Shultz has waged a fervent and frequently lonely campaign to convince the public, and often colleagues in the Reagan Administration, of the need to combat terrorism with swift retaliation. Last week in a speech at the Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, Shultz made his strongest plea yet for public support of aggressive military action against terrorists. "We cannot allow ourselves to become the Hamlet of nations, worrying endlessly over whether and how to respond," he said. "Fighting terrorism will not be a clean or pleasant contest, but we have no choice but to play it.".

In his second television debate with Walter Mondale, President Reagan had said, "We are not going to simply kill some people to say, 'Oh, look, we got even.' " Last week he gingerly distanced himself from Shultz's remarks, saying they were "not a statement of policy." Vice President George Bush was more adamant. "I don't agree with Shultz," said Bush. "We're not going to kill 100 innocent civilians just to kill one terrorist." Some felt that Shultz's speech may have been an attempt to frighten terrorists in Beirut out of launching a pre-election attack.