ABSTRACT

Ronald Reagan entered the White House in 1981 as the president who promised to confront the foreign enemies of the United States. Whilst the Soviet Union remained the single greatest threat to the United States, the 1979 hostage crisis in Iran dramatically raised concerns over international terrorism. Reagan’s approach to this threat was unequivocal – those responsible would be subject to “swift and effective retribution”. In 1983, one of the most devastating acts of international terrorism in American history confronted Reagan – the bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon. Despite Reagan’s earlier pledge, those believed to have been responsible for this attack – Iran and its surrogate, Hezbollah – avoided punishment. This analysis explains the discrepancy between Reagan’s rhetoric and his actions by examining how strategic imperatives related to the Cold War helped deter a military reprisal against both Iran and Hezbollah.

摘要

罗纳德·里根于 1981 年以总统的身份进入白宫，承诺与美国的外敌正面交锋。虽然苏联仍然是美国面临的最大威胁，但 1979 年伊朗人质危机引发了对国际恐怖主义的担忧。里根对这一威胁的态度是明确的——责任人将受到“迅速而有效的报复”。1983 年，美国历史上最具破坏性的国际恐怖主义行为之一发生在里根面前——轰炸黎巴嫩的海军陆战队军营。尽管里根早先做出了承诺，但那些被认为应对这次袭击负责的人——伊朗及其代理人真主党——避免了惩罚。