Vanity Fair has excerpts from Ronald Reagan’s diary. The following excerpts are from 1981 and 1982.
Mon. June 1, 1981 • I approved naval maneuvers in Mediterranean waters that Qaddafi of Libya has declared are his territorial waters. I’m not being foolhardy but he’s a madman. He has been harassing our planes out over international waters & it’s time to show the other nations there Egypt, Morocco, et al that there is different management here.
Sun. June 7, 1981 • Got word of Israeli bombing of Iraq—nuclear reactor. I swear I believe Armageddon is near.
Returned to W.H. at 3 p.m. More word on bombing. P.M. Begin informed us after the fact.
Tues. June 9, 1981 • Ended day with an N.S.C. meeting re the bombing of Iraq. P.M. Begin insists the plant was preparing to produce nuclear weapons for use on Israel. If he waited ’til the French shipment of “hot” uranium arrived he couldn’t order the bombing because of the radiation that would be loosed over Baghdad.
I can understand his fear but feel he took wrong option. He should have told us & the French, we could have done something to remove the threat.
However we are not turning on Israel—that would be an invitation for the Arabs to attack. It’s time to raise H—l world wide for a settlement of the “middle-east” problem. What has happened is the result of fear & suspicion on both sides. We need a real push for a solid peace.
As for that reference to Armageddon, it echoes and earlier entry from May.
Fri. May 15, 1981 • N.S.C. meeting with Lebanon on the table. Latest message from [special envoy Philip] Habib does not sound good although he said to make no decision for a few days. [Israeli prime minister Menachem] Begin was more flexible than [president] Assad of Syria (bolstered by Soviets). Habib going to Saudi Arabia to see if they’ll lean on Assad. Sometimes I wonder if we are destined to witness Armageddon.
Sometimes I wonder whether we re-living Groundhog Day. Nothing much seems to ever change in the Middle East, and Republican presidents keep thinking in apocalyptic terms while meddling in the region.
Things just got worse, under Reagan, for Iraq, for Lebanon, and for Israel.
Here’s a bit from Reagan, not long after Sadat was assassinated.
Sat. Jan. 16, 1982 • It’s possible [Egyptian president Hosni] Mubarak will abandon the Camp David accords & settle down with his Arab brothers once he gets the Sinai back. At the same time Begin may renege on the Sinai although he swears he won’t. [Israeli minister of defense Ariel] Sharon is the bad guy who seemingly looks forward to a war.
Well…that was prescient. So was this.
Sat. Feb. 6, 1982 • Bill Clark [deputy secretary of state] called—trouble brewing in the Middle East. Israel on verge of major invasion of So. Lebanon because of P.L.O. mil. build up. We are trying to persuade them they must not move unless there is a provocation of such a nature—the world will recognize Israel’s right to retaliate. Right now Israel has lost a lot of world sympathy.
And more from the first Israel-Lebanon War.
Thurs. Aug. 12, 1982 • Met with the news the Israelis delivered the most devastating bomb & artillery attack on W. Beirut lasting 14 hours. Habib cabled—desperate—has basic agreement from all parties but can’t arrange details of P.L.O. withdrawal because of the barrage.
King Fahd [Saudi Arabia] called begging me to do something. I told him I was calling P.M. Begin immediately. And I did—I was angry—I told him it had to stop or our entire future relationship was endangered. I used the word holocaust deliberately & said the symbol of his war was becoming a picture of a 7 month old baby with its arms blown off. He told me he had ordered the bombing stopped—I asked about the artillery fire. He claimed the P.L.O. had started that & Israeli forces had taken casualties. End of call. Twenty mins. later he called to tell me he’d ordered an end to the barrage and plead for our continued friendship.
Interesting stuff, no?
