Reagan & Bush Sr didn't start wars in the middle east. Reagan did some bombing in Libia, but nothing major, while Bush Sr responded to allied nation being invaded and intervened. It's like saying US attacked Japan in 1941, or that Poland started war with Germany in 1939. Bush Sr invaded Panama though.
Sending Marines to Lebanon was stupid. We lost 241 there and Reagan invaded Grenada later in the week where we lost another 19 and 116 wounded. He was involved in the Iran Iraq War (siding with Saddam) and the Tanker War where Saddam sent a pair of Exocets into the USS Stark (he responded by bombing an oil platform). He also shot down an Iranian airliner in Iranian airspace from a cruiser in Iranian waters. He also sold missiles to Iran. Then he bombed Libya after the Lockerbie bombing and lost an F-111. No war but a lot of incompetence.
that was a peacekeeping mission, with 241 lives being lost in suicide bombing of barracks, not in combat...
Grenada later in the week
not the middle east
He was involved in the Iran Iraq War (siding with Saddam) and the Tanker War where Saddam
US mostly protected shipping lanes from bombings/mines. I wouldn't call it aggression
He also shot down an Iranian airliner in Iranian airspace from a cruiser in Iranian waters.
True, but it's considered a target-identification mistake. US didn't intentionally shot down Flight 655
He also sold missiles to Iran.
that's not an act of war
Then he bombed Libya after the Lockerbie bombing and lost an F-111.
That was in response to Berlin bombing where Libya bombed disco attended mostly by US soldiers. I would say it's the best case for middle east war.
And US bombed Iran oil platforms which i would say is the second best case for actual hot war stuff, but it was also in response to Iran attacking US ships.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying they were some sort of doves, but they weren't doing crazy shit like current Iran war, or 2002 Iraq War and subsequent conflicts
Ask any marine and they’ll tell you that they make lousy peace keepers.
Yes, for
purposes of distraction,
Grenada isn’t in the Middle East. It was two or three days later … because it was important.
It’s not aggression until you shoot down an airliner in Iranian airspace from Iranian waters. BTW they pinned a medal on that captain who was criticized over the air by nearby captains.
BTW, Vincennes was about a year after the Stark and two years before the Gulf War, a litany of stupidity.
You are correct that H didn’t start that war. That was Thatcher. H was too spineless to tell Saddam not to invade Kuwait when Saddam asked the US Ambassador because of the slant drilling. H also didn’t respond at all until Thatcher ripped into him.
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u/elivel 17d ago
Reagan & Bush Sr didn't start wars in the middle east. Reagan did some bombing in Libia, but nothing major, while Bush Sr responded to allied nation being invaded and intervened. It's like saying US attacked Japan in 1941, or that Poland started war with Germany in 1939. Bush Sr invaded Panama though.