The diary entries of President Ronald Reagan reveal many entries on Gadhafi, and I found them to be interesting enough to share here on this blog as part of the Reagan Centennial series.In 1973 Gaddafi claimed much of the Gulf of Sidra (northern Libya) defying international territory; he called the invisible border the "Line of Death" and threatened to attack any planes or ships crossing the line.
In 1979 US President Jimmy Carter designated Libya a state sponsor of terrorism.
Here are President Reagan's diary entries (related to Gaddafi, whom Reagan called "a madman.") (My notes in blue)
June 1, 1981
I approved naval maneuvers in Mediterranean waters that Khadafi of Lybia has declared are his territorial waters....He has been harassing our planes out over international waters...
July 31, 1981
A lengthy working lunch. NSC briefing on Naval games in the gulf of Sidra. We'll find out how serious Khadaffi is about claiming half the Mediterranean for himself.
August 1981
We have an intelligence report that Guadaffi has told others he intends to have me assassinated. It's a strange feeling to find there is a "contract" out on yourself.
October 6, 1981 (the day that Egypt's Anwar Sadat was assassinated)
I'm trying not to feel hatred for those who did this foul deed (the assassination) but I can't make it. Gadhafi gloating on TV, his people jubilantly celebrating in the streets. He is beneath contempt. He goes on radio (clandestine) and began broadcasting propaganda, calling for a holy war, etc. before Sadat's death was confirmed. This material had to have been already prepared. In other words, he knew it was going to happen.
February 12 1983
National Security Advisor Bud McFarlane brought report that Gaddafi was allegedly planning attack on Sudan...
February 14 1983
NSC meeting about Khadafy and a report that he's going to send bombers to help a coup in Sudan. Some question as to weather the report is valid. We are providing AWAC's to aid Egypt fighters (planes) who will intercept Lybian planes.
August 10 1983
Well Faza Largeau in Chad has fallen to the rebels and Guadafi's forces.
August 11 1983
The situation in Chad worsens. Faza Largeau has definately been taken by the rebels and the Libyans. The French have sent 500 paratroopers to the capitol of Chad. Still no French air power leaving the air to the Libyans. They may be talking a "deal" with Quadafi - Libya is a big customer of France.
April 18 1984
Kadafi must be insane - a demonstration by Libyan exiles in front of the Libyan Embassy in London was fired on by someone in the Embass, 11 wounded and 1 Eng. Police Woman killed. The Eng. police have the embassy surrounded now but can't storm it under international law. Kadaffi has surrounded the British Embassy in Libya with mil. forces and that is a state of siege. Our intellegence has learned that Kadafi ordered the embassy in London to attack the demonstrators and start a wave of fire throughout Eng. He charges Eng. is in cahoots with the demonstrators.
July 28 1984
...lunch with F. Minister Andreotti of Italy. He brought me a book by Quadaffi and said that gentleman expressed a desire to have better relations with us.
April 1, 1985
Met with Pres. Niemeri of Sudan - he's OK. I think we're going to be able to help him. Quadaffi's giving him a bad time...
June 18, 1985
...sessions with Pres. Borguiba of Tunisia. They were good sessions and he is really a friend of America. Tunisia is the only Muslim or Arab country that practices monogamy and gives women equal rights. The Pres. is also a declared enemy of Guadaffi. He is 85 years old. in bad health....
September 3, 1985
Had a frustrating meeting with NSPG on our relationship with Egypt. Pres. Mubarak believes Quadhavi of Libya is a threat to all the N. African countries and mainly Egypt. We've been meeting with the Pres. on how we can assist him if Egypt is attacked. Do we all go out and join in a war and would our people support such a move? There is no doubt Egypt and the Suez canal are very important to our security. Still it's a complex problem. For now we'll keep on studying contingency plans with Pres Mubarak.
November 29 1985
Awakened by phone call from Bud McFar. It seems Moubarak wants to fly some of the Eygptian wounded and his commandos home from Malta and is concerned that Quadaffi might attack the plane. He has asked us for fighter cover. I said hell yes. We arae flying F-15's plus a tanker and a communications plane down from Europe. Operation should take place some time tonight....
Jan 1 1986
...Khadafy and his connection with the massacres at Rome and Vienna airports. We all feel we must do something yet there are problems including thousands of Americans living and working in the mad clown's country...
Jan 7 1986
...this was a day spent on 2 issues - one was Guadafi (Libya) and the other our 5 hostages in Lebanon.
First on Libya's top clown, after quite a session I finally came down on the side of an exec. order bringing Ams & Am business home from Libya and canceling relations - trade, etc. with them. At the same time we beef up the 6th fleet in the Med Sea. If Mr. Q. decides not to push another terrorist act - OK we've been successful with our implied threat. IF ont he other hand he takes this for weakness and does loose another one, we will have targets in mind and instantly respond with a hell of a punch. At tonight's press conf. I announce the ex. order.
March 14 1986
..an NSPG meeting about next week's Naval operation off Libya. Our ships and planes will now and then cross over the line Quadaffy says marks his territorial waters. It doesn't - the area is still international water open to navigation. He has threatened to take action. I have approved - indeed ordered that we respond to any hostile move on his part with appropriate action.
March 24 1986
...Quadafy fired SAM missiles at our planes in the Mediterranean war games and sent a couple of missile ships our toward our naval vessels. Score - no hits on any of our craft but 2 Libyan ships sunk and our air missiles took out the radar without which the SAMS can't be fired. Quadafi claims he shot down 3 of our planes - he lies.
April 6 1986 (a disco in West Berlin was bombed)
...got a night time call re: the bombing of the Disco in W. Berlin where 50 or so of our servicemen were wounded and killed. Evidence is adding up that the villain was Kadaffy although the hypocrite went on TV to say "it was a terrorist act against innocent civilians and he wouldn't do such a thing".
April 7 1986
Our intelligence is pretty final that this bombing was the work of Kafaffy. We have definite info on other plans - some of which we've been able to abort. We discussed targets for retaliation. I'm holding our for mil. targets to avoid civilian casualties because we believe a large part of Libya would like to get rid of the Col.
April 9 1986
...2 full NSC meetings planning targets for retaliation against Kadaffy. Our evidence is complete that he was behind the disco bombing in W Berlin that killed an Am. Sgt and wounded 50 GIs. We have 5 specified military targets in mind.
Press conference at 8 PM. went well. Almost all Q's were on Kadaffy...
April 10 1986
Another session with Ad. Crowe on potential Libyan targets. I think it will be Mon. night. I've sent a long message to PM Thatcher explaining in generalities what we're up to. She has replied with a long message pledging support but expressing concern about possible civilian casualties. That's our concern also.
April 15 1986 (attack carried out)
The morning was taken up with study and analysis of the attack. We fear one bomb was off target and caused civilian casulties. At the same time its possible it wasn't our bomb but one of their anti aircraft missiles that came down and exploded. One of our aircraft is missing, an F-111 with crew of 2.
April 16 1986
...in the last 2 24 hour periods the WH has taken 126,000 phone calls - 15,000 couldn't get through - then 160,000 and 16,000 couldn't get through. They were more than 70% favorable. The sad note is we have to assume the 2 missing airmen are dead. Evidence indicates their plane was shot down just off the shore after dropping its bombs.....
...we're getting reports that there may be a revolution - which we would welcome - kicking up in the streets of Tripoli. No one has seen or heard from Quadhafy - rumors are flying like crazy. The Libyan AF strafed the barracks of Quadafys special guard.
...Whoa! Evening news -- reports that Quadhafy has made an appearance and is in charge. Tripoli radio is calling on Arabs to kill Americans.
Note: Gadhafi claims that Reagan killed his adopted daughter. However, just a few weeks ago ( 2011 ) it was revealed that Gadhafi lied about that all along, and that his daughter is alive. See the report here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030467/Libya-Gaddafis-daughter-alive-working-doctor-Tripoli.html
April 21, 1986
An interview with 4 wire service operators. Most questions were on Libya plus how it tied in to the coming Summit. I managed to get some things said that I've wanted to say - ie, where does Khadafy get over moaning about our bombs killing a little girl? What about the baby blown through the side of a TWA plane at 15,000 feet. What about the 11-year old girl mowed down in cold blood at the Rome airport. Mr. K called that one a "noble deed".
June 16 1988
Zia has declared Islamic Law is law of Pakistan. That puts them into the Fundamentalist Revolution with the Ayatolah and Quadaffi.
December 21, 1988
270 people are killed as a result of a bomb on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland.
December 28 1988
The British have completed their examination of the Pan Am 103 crash and are announcing today that it was a bomb explosion.
January 4 1989
..2 of our F14s from the USS Kennedy shot down 2 Mig 23s from Libya. There have been signs that Quadafy is antsy about a possible attack on his chemical factory.
January 11 1989
...Libyans have agreed to return the body of American flyer they've been holding since 1986.
....spoke about easing some sanctions on Libya because they are hurting some Americans worse than they are hurting Quadafi.
Source: The Reagan Diaries, editor: Douglas Brinkley. 2007. Harper Collins.
Source: The Reagan Diaries, editor: Douglas Brinkley. 2007. Harper Collins.
POSTSCRIPT
Ronald Reagan's last day in office was January 20, 1989.
The investigation of the Flight 103 bombing went on for years. 2 accused Lybians were brought to trial 11 years later; 1 was found guilty and imprisoned (later released in 2009), the other was found not guilty.
In 2003, Libya reached a political agreement with the United States and Britain to accept responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing and agreed to pay about $2.7 billion in victims' compensation.
The United States and Libya resumed diplomatic ties in 2004. Libya was dropped as a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States.
On July 9 2009, US President Obama meets Gaddafi at the G8 summit in Italy.
In early 2011, uprisings began to take place in Egypt then Lybia. Gaddafi reacted by ordering mass murder of anti-government protesters. US President Obama initially stayed out of the situation. On March 19 a Western-led NATO intervention took place to halt Gaddafi's military forces.
Gaddafi eventually fell from power.
Gadhafi was killed on October 20, 2011.
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