“President Ronald Reagan didn’t seek congressional approval when he bombed Libya in retaliation for a bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland.” Amber Phillips — Washington Post

In a piece published by the Washington Post on April 7 2017, Amber Phillips writes that President Ronald Reagan’s bombing raid on Tripoli and Benghazi was retaliation for the attack on Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. This is — of course — NONSENSE. But this Freudian slip is nevertheless interesting. Let us take a quick look back at the official disinformation US program against Libya in 1986. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

The bombing of Tripoli and Benghazi took place on 15 April 1986. Pan Am 103 was destroyed over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988. So, Amber Phillips and her Washington Post editor are obviously dead wrong. Instead of smearing U.S. news sites that are critical of U.S. foreign policy, the Post should work a bit harder on its own stories… Full Stop.

If you read this blog, chances are they you are familiar with the Iran-Contra Affair. At the same time, it is quite likely that you have never heard of a major US scandal that was running parallel to the Iran-Contra Operation. The two operations were in fact two branches of a single policy. If the delivery of weapons to Iran was the “Carrot” part of the plan suggested in the 1985 “Fuller MEMORANDUM”, the disinformation regarding “Libyan terrorism” was the “Stick”.

The facts are well documented. But as the world — and the US Congress — discovered with horror the Iran-Contra Affair, the “Libyan Scandal” was quickly forgotten… There never was an investigation. And only one person resigned over this affair.

“Bernard Kalb resigned today (08 October 1986) as chief spokesman for Secretary of State George P. Shultz in protest of the government’s disinformation program directed at Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi. (…) He said his choice was to remain at the department and vanish into acquiescence or to quit in protest.” LA Times

Here is the story of one of the major US scandals you may never had heard of.

Reagan and the 1986 “Libyan Terrorism” Disinformation Op

08 January 1986

STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT IN LIBYA UNDER QADDAFI New York Times “Qaddafi has used terrorism as one of the primary instruments of his foreign policy and supports radical groups which use terrorist tactics.” The report lists the anti-US illegal activities of Libya in Europe, Africa, the near and far-east, Central and Latin America as well as direct threats against the US. The Reports specifically names the activities of Qaddafi in Nicaragua and his support for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command. The Report concludes : “Qaddafi has abused diplomatic privilege for terrorist purposes, reneged on international agreements and blatantly used terrorist violence against political opponents. In addition, Qaddafi’s support of terrorism, regardless of his direct operational involvement in a given terrorist act, helps legitimize terrorism as an acceptable political activity. “

05 April 1986 La Belle Disco bombing; Reagan accuses Libya Evidence: a pair of intercepted cable transmissions from the Libyan People’s Bureau–its embassy–in East Berlin. A witness names the cables’ recipient as Said Rashid. [INTEL TODAY: This is the “Said Rashid” who allegedly ordered the MST-13 timers from a Swiss company MEBO. The owner of MEBO — Edwin Bollier — claims that he delivered the first series of MST-13 timers to Rashid in Libya sometimes between September and November 1985. According to the Lockerbie trial, Pan Am 103 was destroyed with the use of this type of timer. NB: Bollier’s passport has no Libya entry stamp for this period.] Germany Finally to Try ’86 Disco Bombing Case “The despicable attack in Berlin fits the pattern of increased Libyan activities including Rome and Vienna. We have suspicions that this bombing is part of that pattern.” Bernard Kalb.

German authorities do not support this theory.

REFERENCES

Is President Trump’s strike on Syria constitutional? — Washington Post April 7 2017

“This report originally incorrectly stated which international bombing President Reagan’s 1986 bombing of Libya was in retaliation for.”

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When the Washington Post rewrites History