From: utzoo!decvax!cca!hplabs!soreff
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: Re: Rick"s reply to JTR (long piece) - (nf)
Article-I.D.: hplabs.598
Posted: Sat Jul 31 15:54:11 1982
Received: Mon Aug  2 01:08:54 1982
References: uiucdcs.300

It is not the case, as A. Ray Miller states, that the death in the Libyan
incident was "unfortunate but certainly unavoidable". Had the US conducted
its naval operations elsewhere, which was certainly within Reagan's power,
the death could have been avoided. "Self defense" becomes a rather fuzzy
concept when used during an action which is intentionally provocative, and
known to be so from the outset. The actions of the pilots in the task force
when in the gulf of Sidra may well have been defensive. This does not imply
that the act of sending them there in the first place (a premeditated act
,"in cold blood") was defensive.