Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
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Lawmakers 10/27/1983
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Lawmakers 10/27/1983
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Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Paul Duke, Cokie Roberts, Linda Wertheimer. Topics on program Congressional debates following the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut and the invasion of Grenada.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Paul Duke introduces excerpt from Presidential address.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
October 27, 1983 President Ronald Reagan gives television address. The events in Lebanon and Grenada, though oceans apart, are closely related. Not only has Moscow assisted and encouraged the violence in both countries, but it provides direct support through a network of surrogates and terrorists. It is no coincidence that when the thugs tried to wrest control over Grenada, there were 30 Soviet advisers and hundreds of Cuban military and paramilitary forces on the island. At the moment of our landing, we communicated with the Governments of Cuba and the Soviet Union and told them we would offer shelter and security to their people on Grenada. Regrettably, Castro ordered his men to fight to the death, and some did. The others will be sent to their homelands. You know, there was a time when our national security was based on a standing army here within our own borders and shore batteries of artillery along our coasts, and, of course, a navy to keep the sealanes open for the shipping of things necessary to our well-being. The-world has changed. Today, our national security can be threatened in faraway places. It's up to all of us to be aware of the strategic importance of such places and to be able to identify them. Sam Rayburn once said that freedom is not something a nation can work for once and win forever. He said it's like an insurance policy; its premiums must be kept up to date. In order to keep it, we have to keep working for it and sacrificing for it just as long as we live. If we do not, our children may not know the pleasure of working to keep it, for it may not be theirs to keep. In these last few days, I've been more sure than I've ever been that we Americans of today will keep freedom and maintain peace. I've been made to feel that by the magnificent spirit of our young men and women in uniform and by something here in our Nation's Capital. In this city, where political strife is so much a part of our lives, I've seen Democratic leaders in the Congress join their Republican colleagues, send a message to the world that we're all Americans before we're anything else, and when our country is threatened, we stand shoulder to shoulder in support of our men and women in the Armed Forces.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Paul Duke comments that despite Reagan s assertion of bipartisan support, many members of Congress are deeply angry about his foreign policy decisions. Linda Wertheimer comments that Reagan s supporters are concerned because the public generally does not want overseas military involvement. Cokie Roberts comments those who oppose Middle East involvement are worried that Reagan hasn't said it was a bad idea to keep Marines in Lebanon even after the bombing.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Paul Duke introduces Linda Wertheimer. Wertheimer begins a report on the deaths of the Marines in Lebanon.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
DO NOT USE Footage courtesy MacNeill Lehrer News Hour fire at Marine Barracks, groups of Marines helping wounded. Marines hoisting body bag out of the rubble.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
10/24/1983 Representative Wyche Fowler Jr. (D Georgia) on House Floor, Mr. Speaker, now is not the time for government by polls or by passion. It s not the time for national decisions based on outrage or sorrow, as much as we might like to yield to that temptation.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
American Flag at half-mast over Capitol.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Tip O'Neill at a memorial service for Marines in Lebanon. A priest gives a eulogy.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
October 24, 1983 President Ronald Reagan gives television address. Many Americans are wondering why we must keep our forces in Lebanon. Well, the reason they must stay there until the situation is under control is quite clear: We have vital interests in Lebanon, and our actions in Lebanon are in the cause of world peace.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Ernest Hollings (D South Carolina) giving press conference. My main question was what is the mission for the Marines. We know that s it s impossible for them to force the withdrawal of foreign troops. They re not there as a military unit to take anything or to force anything. They re not there keeping any peace. They re barely able to protect their own lives. And therefore what is the mission?
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Paul Tsongas (D Massachusetts) Let us know what we re doing there and under what conditions that mission would be over and the Marines would come back.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Jake Garn (R Utah) My own personal opinion is that it s important that they remain. We must do everything possible to try to ensure better safety for them, but I think if we pulled out now with a gun at our head, we d cause far more problems and possibly cause other American deaths in other areas.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Joseph Biden (D Delaware) I do not foresee an immediate withdrawal, as one who believed we shouldn t have put the Marines in the first place, I must acknowledge a precipitous withdrawal of the marines right now would be bad.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator John Tower (R Texas) giving press statement If we just pull out now it leaves a vacuum obviously, in which the Soviets, through their surrogates the Syrians, will rush in to fill.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
epresentative Sam Stratton (D New York) I think a sensible government is one that recognizes when it has reached its particular limits.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Clarence Long (D Maryland) I want to get out of there (Lebanon) because I think we re in an impossible situation. I see no solution to it whatsoever.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Shots of meeting of Secretary of State George Shultz with members of Congress.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Lawrence Smith (D Florida) We didn t get a sufficient military briefing to really know for sure if our security was adequate. The general who briefed us thought that they had prepared adequately for what they considered would be thrown at them. It just seems to me that running a truck up the middle of the road leading to a 4 story building in which 120 marines were housed, should have caused them grave concern.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator John Tower (R Texas), The consensus of the Committee is that security was not adequate.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Paul Tsongas (D Massachusetts) that is nothing to do with policy; it s simply a question of logistics and whether you can set up a situation that s secure. Beyond that, what you re getting is simply a louder drum beat of what you ve heard before which is define the mission Mr. President.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Howard Wolpe (D Michigan) I think there s concern that we try to do whatever we do do in concertion with our allies. On the other hand, there is just tremendous unease within the Congress and I feel on both sides of the aisle with respect to the security of the forces in Lebanon There s utter disbelief of what happened and could have happened.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Jim Wright (D Texas) I think there is very serious concern on the part of most members of the House that insufficient precautions had been taken to guarantee the physical safety of those Marines.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Lee Hamilton (D Indiana) It s a response of outrage. How could this happen? Anger. Distress. Disappointment. Bereavement. Why in the world couldn t we protect those marines? That s the question I think you get most frequently.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
DO NOT USE C/U of headline, indicates that General Paul Kelley, Commandant U.S.M.C. visited Beirut and reported that the security before the attack was "adequate".
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative David Obey (D Wisconsin) All I would say is that if he (General Paul Kelley) is perfectly satisfied, he s got a big selling job to do because I don t know of anybody else in America who is.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Senator Paul Tsongas (D Massachusetts) How anybody could be perfectly satisfied with a situation that results in the death of so many people, I just don t understand that.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Lee Hamilton (D Indiana) I think in the long run, the Congress will support the Marines staying there for a reasonable period of time to try to accomplish our objectives.
Lawmakers 10/27/1983
Representative Howard Wolpe (D Michigan) I think that if members of Congress cannot be convinced that the vulnerability of the troops on the ground has been very substantially reduced then I think members of Congress will insist that they be withdrawn.