american warships involved in multinational peacekeeping force beirut

Some administration officials, however, were said to be concerned about the diplomatic repercussions of any military action, particularly while Lebanese leaders are holding national reconciliation talks in Geneva.Īlthough State Department officials have talked about 'the deterrent effect' of retaliatory action, the department is understood to believe that a military reprisal could have effects harmful to long-range goals in Lebanon.

servicemen than had died in a single day since the Tet offensive of the Vietnam war. Officials continued to discuss the possibility of retaliating for that attack, which killed more U.S. Other administration sources said they know who planned the attack on the Marine peace-keeping force in Beirut and where the culprits can be found. Administration sources said they believe that the same 'radical Shiite Moslem group' was responsible for yesterday's attack and the suicide truck-bomb attacks against French and U.S. He suggested that a commando raid, air strike or other military action might be taken as a preemptive move to forestall another terrorist attack.Ī suicide car-bomb attack destroyed an Israeli military intelligence headquarters in southern Lebanon yesterday, killing at least 29 soldiers and 10 Arabs. The ships are staying farther offshore while moving constantly and keeping their best-armed combatants closest to the coast.Īn administration source also said the United States has learned that what he described as members of a radical Moslem group recently carried rockets through east Beirut to positions from which they could reach U.S. The dozen ships near Lebanon, meanwhile, were taking unusual precautions in the wake of intelligence reports of increasing danger from Syrian missiles, terrorist frogmen or other sources, officials said. Altogether, at least 29 Navy ships with about 300 aircraft could be in the area within a few days, administration officials said.

Kennedy were reported headed in that direction with their battle groups. The carrier USS Eisenhower and the battleship USS New Jersey headed a fleet of a dozen ships already near Lebanon, while the carriers USS Independence and USS John F.

Navy yesterday was assembling an unusually large fleet of warships in the Mediterranean as government officials increasingly speculated about possible military action in retaliation for the terrorist bombing that killed at least 230 U.S.

American warships involved in multinational peacekeeping force beirut