U.S. policy options to the hostage crisis in Lebanon
ResearchPublished 1989
The execution of American hostage Lt. Col. William Higgins has again underscored the power that a handful of Middle Eastern terrorists holds over the United States. The legacy of one presidency destroyed by its inability to free American diplomats held hostage in Teheran and another tarnished by its futile attempt to trade arms for the hostages in Lebanon are reminders of the U.S. failure to solve the problems of terrorism. This paper reviews the problems that past presidents have faced in responding to terrorist acts and provocations, and offers some thoughts on what types of military responses might prove most effective. The author suggests that Israel should not be condemned, but be praised for its bold move in apprehending Sheikh Obeid, the commander of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah terrorist organization; we should accept that no progress will be made in the struggle against terrorism until the terrorists' state sponsors are held accountable for their aid and encouragement; and the United States must have a clear and consistent policy on terrorism.
Topics
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 1989
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 6
- Paperback Price: $20.00
- Document Number: P-7585
Citation
RAND Style Manual
Chicago Manual of Style
Hoffman, Bruce, U.S. policy options to the hostage crisis in Lebanon, RAND Corporation, P-7585, 1989. As of September 13, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7585.html
Hoffman, Bruce, U.S. policy options to the hostage crisis in Lebanon. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1989. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P7585.html. Also available in print form.
This publication is part of the RAND paper series. The paper series was a product of RAND from 1948 to 2003 that captured speeches, memorials, and derivative research, usually prepared on authors' own time and meant to be the scholarly or scientific contribution of individual authors to their professional fields. Papers were less formal than reports and did not require rigorous peer review.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.